Algorithmic Sabotage Research - Group (asrg)

: They advocate for the communal constraint of harmful technologies and fight against the "abstract segregation" of society into those who control and those who are controlled by algorithms. Key Projects and Publications

Viewing "algorithmic sabotage" not as mere technical hacking, but as a form of "communal constraint" against harmful technologies.

: The group focuses on artistic-activist resistances to express a collective "counter-intelligence" against what they call the "algorithmic empire". algorithmic sabotage research group (asrg)

The ASRG concentrates on the following research areas:

ASRG operates through collaborative, practice-led research and has produced several notable works: : They advocate for the communal constraint of

However, the ASRG counters that the power asymmetry between tech giants and the individual citizen is now so vast that traditional legal and political mechanisms are too slow to offer protection. They argue that algorithmic sabotage is a form of necessary civil disobedience. Just as environmental activists might chain themselves to a tree to prevent deforestation, digital activists must be prepared to disrupt the code that threatens digital autonomy.

For decades, the prevailing narrative of artificial intelligence has been one of optimization. From supply chain logistics to social media feeds, the goal of algorithmic design has been to streamline, predict, and maximize efficiency. However, as these systems become the invisible infrastructure of daily life, a counter-narrative is emerging. It suggests that efficiency is not always a virtue and that systems designed for perfect prediction require a disruptive counter-force. This is the intellectual territory of the . The ASRG concentrates on the following research areas:

This involves making data unusable or misleading for algorithmic scrapers. One of the group’s most cited projects involved the development of a browser extension that runs silently in the background, clicking random ads and visiting unrelated websites. This "chaff" data creates a chaotic digital footprint, making it impossible for data brokers to construct an accurate consumer profile. It is sabotage through the injection of noise, turning the panopticon into a hall of mirrors.

: ASRG explicitly refuses "algorithmic humiliation" for power and profit, instead prioritizing mutual aid and solidarity.

The ASRG does not view itself as a collection of Luddites smashing the machines. Rather, it operates as a sophisticated multidisciplinary collective—comprising computer scientists, artists, legal scholars, and critical theorists—dedicated to the study and implementation of "algorithmic sabotage." In an age where algorithms increasingly dictate access to resources, shape public opinion, and even identify criminal suspects, the ASRG posits that the only way to maintain human agency is to learn how to throw sand in the gears of the machine.