Designing Counter-Choreographies: Embodied Choreographic Approaches for Critical Examination of Online Tracking

This paper describes a workshop conducted as part of practice-based research that investigates online tracking algorithms commonly found in everyday web environments. The workshop introduced participants to online tracking algorithms through choreographic lenses. A series of exercises informed a discussion on the topics and strategies to counteract data-driven extractivist technologies. We analysed the outcomes of our workshop and showed that it allowed individuals to become more aware of their lack of control over data harvesting and its use by digital services, and enabled them to develop strategies for reclaiming their agency over their personal data. We discuss how the choreographic approach used in the workshop contributes to engage people in critical examination of online tracking in their day-to-day and to inspire forms of countering those same extractive algorithmic systems. Our paper contributes with empirical insights on how choreography can be used to raise awareness of data tracking online.