Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (asrg) ((full)) File

: 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

The group describes its mission as "theorizing and practicing militant algorithmic agency". Their core ideology is rooted in several key pillars: algorithmic sabotage research group (asrg)

The Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (ASRG) is a practice-led research initiative that operates at the intersection of digital culture, information technology, and political activism. Describing itself as a "conspiratorial" and "aesthetico-political" framework, the group focuses on theorizing and enacting forms of resistance against what it terms the "algorithmic empire". Core Philosophy and Mission ASRG is rooted in the belief that the first step of techno-politics is political, not technological. The group's work is centered around several key principles: Techno-Disobedience: They view "algorithmic sabotage" as a form of militant agency used to counter algorithmic domination and structural injustice. Aesthetic-Political Resistance: The group uses artistic-activist strategies to challenge the "necropolitical" technologies of modern state and corporate power. Counter-Intelligence: They aim to foster a collective "counter-intelligence" that prioritizes mutual aid, solidarity, and communal care over the reductive optimizations of capitalist algorithms. Emancipatory Defense: ASRG advocates for the communal constraint of harmful technologies and the dismantling of the abstract segregation between those "above" and "below" the algorithm. Notable Works and "The Manifesto" The group is best known for its : They advocate for the communal constraint of

: A collaborative document that conceptualizes sabotage as a means of fighting structural injustices and "algorithmic authoritarianism". Tactical Interventions shape public opinion

In their seminal manifesto, "The Right to Obfuscate," the group argues that algorithmic systems operate on a logic of visibility and predictability. Machine learning models require vast amounts of clean, labeled data to function. They rely on the assumption that human behavior follows recognizable patterns. When we comply with these patterns—clicking the recommended video, swiping right on the suggested match—we feed the machine.

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.

At the core of the ASRG’s philosophy is the reclamation of the word "sabotage." Historically associated with workplace disobedience (literally throwing wooden shoes, or sabots , into machinery to stop production), the group redefines the term for the digital age. To the ASRG, sabotage is not merely destruction; it is a form of critique.