Emerging technologies are disrupting the status quo, driving rapid improvements across many segments of society, but also leaving room for compounding existing discriminations and harms. At bleepDigital, our mission sits at the very intersection of where technology meets health, and seeks to address the lack of clinical care that exists for patients suffering from biotech syndromes and digital harms. Our work is driven by three pillars: research & policy; education & training; and, advocacy & public engagement. It is within this last pillar that we are delighted to share more about our first ever public engagement event - ‘Tech Back Your Bits’, held in collaboration with the London-based Vagina Museum.

Held on 13 July 2024, our event was delivered in two-stages; the day began with an open-to-the-public segment that saw four interactive workshops being held by bleepDigital volunteers and Maryam Mehrnezhad, Associate Professor at the Information Security Department at the Royal Holloway, University of London. The aim of the workshops was to raise awareness on prominent issues that are arising in a variety of sectors within the AI and technology revolution. Each workshop combined hands-on experiments with a display of the latest research and case studies on their topics - which can be accessed here.
Each workshop was set-up as an interactive space for members of the public to build their knowledge and understanding of the following topics:
Biohacking & Biotech Syndromes
MedJacking & Healthcare Technologies
Bias in Artificial Intelligence Models
FemTech Cybersecurity & Online Hate
Patient Data-rights & Tech Abuse

Station 1: Biohacking and biotech syndromes
Led by bleepDigtal team member and junior doctor Will, the interactive workshop provided members of the public with information regarding the emergence of advanced medical devices (e.g. Deep Brain Stimulators, pacemakers) and consumer smart implants (e.g. RFID chips). On the table, visitors could interact with these technologies (including a fake hand with implanted chips), and learn about the vulnerability of these devices to simple hacks from tools such as the notorious Bluetooth Flipper.
Will demonstrated how subcutaneous RFID chips can be easily interfered with using the portable accessory known as the ‘Flipper’. A product that can be bought online for under £150, it is described by its manufacturer as a perfect accessory for those who “love hacking digital stuff, such as radio protocols, access control systems and hardware”. Alongside these anatomical props and tech-based tools , visitors could take various information pamphlets and printed studies of digital patient cases, including reports of defibrillators turning off brain chips, or the impact of swimming pools on cardiac implants.

Station 2: Medjacking and Healthcare Technologies
Our second station, led by bleepDigital’s specialist advisor and NHS Surgeon, Mustafa, plus our Emergency Medicine Specialist Kim, showcased the growing emergence of smart and internet-connected healthcare technologies, and their potential vulnerabilities to abuse. With a particular focus on medical devices with cloud capabilities - part of the evolving Internet of Medical Things - the workshop station blended practical information on Medjacking with access to case studies from bleepDigital and beyond.
The station gave an overview of the risks of Medjacking - the hijacking of medical devices - for a range of technologies, covering hearing devices, cardiac devices and pain management systems. Visitors could observe how everyday medical devices, including pain relief systems such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (most commonly known as TENS) may be vulnerable to external hacking by third parties or subtle malfunctions. The station was divided into two sides, with a 'prototype patient' hooked up to various devices on one side, and our adversarial hacker on the other who was able to tap into the network of the patient's devices (Figure 2). Participants learn about relevant clinical cases that describe the clinical consequences when these technologies go wrong, including research conducted by bleepDigital founder Dr Isabel Straw, on the emergence of biotech syndromes and their impact on patient care and our healthcare systems.

Station 3: Bias in Artificial Intelligence
Our third station, led by Eden, bleepDigital volunteer and PHD researcher at UCL , which blended informational pamphlets and case studies, alongside a demonstration of the existence of inherent biases in algorithmic models such as Large Language Models (LLM) - the technology that powers generative AI appliances such as ChatGPT. The aim of the workshop was to look beyond algorithmic models as purely mathematical data sets, and highlight that the biases that permeate society are embedded in the results of these models. Available information to the general public included the development of the ‘Queer Tech’ movement that seeks to utilise technology to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ community members. In addition, available papers included the role of algorithms in AI technologies in perpetrating biases towards women and ethnic minorities.
The demonstration conducted by Eden enabled members of the public to test out these AI models, examining how the representations of words in language datasets can reflect existing biases seen in everyday societies. This was demonstrated by using a software, similar to a search engine, that demonstrates how certain words (e.g., homosexual, woman, Black) are most closely associated with negative or discriminatory words by the language model.

Station 4: FemTech Cybersecurity and Online Hate
Our fourth station was led by Maryam, who discussed her work on the importance of data privacy and the developing issues and security concerns that exist within the world of ‘femtech’. This workshop highlighted the findings of Maryam’s research and the wider work of the Agency Research, a multidisciplinary project seeking to understand the role of agency in the complex online harms both groups and individuals experience. Maryam was accompanied by colleagues who all engaged the public to demonstrate the findings of their research.
This included research investigating the growth and proliferation of online hate, and highlighting the dangers and risks of technology to women. From menopause technology, fertility applications, to general software and support systems targeted at women, the vulnerabilities associated with them are growing and yet remain under the radar. The aim of the workshop was to help mediate this lack of visibility and engage members of the public on the importance of gaining technology literacy and holding companies to account, particularly those whose technologies may be exacerbating the risks to women and other non-dominant communities.

Station 5: Patient Rights & Tech-Abuse
Our fifth and final workshop was led by bleepDigital’s founder Isabel, and Head of Research and Policy Adrian; it focused on raising awareness on the vulnerability to abuse that arises when healthcare and technology intersect, and highlighted the importance of integrating human rights into patient rights. The workshop blended both practical information and wider literature to alert the general public about the reality of tech abuse. Tech abuse is the intentional misuse of existing technologies to cause or increase harm, or to exploit individuals. This is particularly prevalent in domestic abuse cases, and the workshop demonstrated this scenario by looking at how easily accessible technologies can be repurposed to cause harm. The workshop also provided guidance and information support for concerned citizens, including the UCL’s Gender and Tech team who provide tech abuse signposting and guidance.
Alongside this, the workshop focused on the importance of understanding the role of human rights legislation and protection when it comes to the growing influence of technology on our lives and patient outcomes. Raising awareness of existing legislation, whether nationally or internationally, that protects your rights is a huge part of bleepDigital’s mission. We invite you to read our interview with US-based non-profit The Light Collective, to discuss how your right to privacy is a fundamental human right, and why patients should be at the centre of any new technology design and development.

Conclusion
Throughout this workshop we examined the impact of AI and digital technologies on health and wellbeing, highlighting the novel risks to patients that have emerged with implanted and internet-connected technologies. We discussed the cybersecurity risks present in MedTech and a need for greater awareness around "Medjacking" and biotech syndromes, paying particular attention to the burden imposed on marginalised groups who may be affected by AI discrimination, tech-abuse and online harms. If you missed out on this event, reach out via the contact page to book us for future events! We are committed to ensuring new technologies serve all patients, minimising risks, centering patient safety and ensuring historically margainslied groups are not left behind. See more shots from our workshop demos below!
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