Disconnect - A Proposal for Reclaiming Control in HCI.

As the lines between the digital and analog worlds become increasingly blurred, it is nearly impossible to traverse modern life without creating a digital footprint. This integration is so deep-rooted into the fabric of society, that if one attempted to choose to disconnect from today's hyperconnected world, one would have to move away from civilization. Weiser's vision of the omni-present, ubiquitous computer of the 21st century [21] has been realized, but at a cost. With invisible interfaces we forego the ability to recognize when we are being watched, heard or influenced by external actors. This paper takes a bottom-up approach of using design fiction narratives to explore how to design mechanisms of control (MoC) that may help reinstate human control and agency over our data. Preliminary results show emergent themes pertaining to data access, governance and sharing; the forms of MoC; as well as methodological lessons.