Credibility Boosters as a Lens for Understanding Epistemic Injustice in Civic Tech: The Case of Heat Seek

Marginalized groups often face situations in which their knowledge and experiences are dismissed due to prejudice or bias—a phenomenon identified and theorized as epistemic injustice in feminist philosophy. These circumstances frequently compel individuals to produce additional evidence to support their claims, ranging from paper documentation to data generated by technologies such as location logs. This paper examines the case of Heat Seek, an internet-connected temperature sensor designed to provide tenants in New York City with “objective and reliable data” when filing heating complaints and appearing in housing court. We present findings from a qualitative study, supplemented by document review and artifact analysis, to illuminate the tool’s functions and uses. Drawing on this case, we introduce a class of civic technologies—credibility boosters. We find that these technologies aim to overcome credibility deficits by: (1) backing individual and collective claims with objective data, (2) materializing intangible experiences as tangible evidence with aesthetic reliability, and (3) shifting epistemic authority to perceived neutral third parties. We conclude by demonstrating the institutional and social impacts of such technologies and call for greater attention to epistemic injustices within CSCW research, advocating for the design of institutional, legal, and social systems that confront biased systems and empower marginalized communities.