This week it was announced that the Norwegian Data Protection Authority will ban the browser tool “Shinigami Eyes” in Norway due to illegal use of personal data. They also believe it amplifies the echo chamber effect online. Journalist and critic Anki Gerhardsen experienced having her name marked in red in Shinigami Eyes, after participating in the debate on trans and gender incongruence. – It was scary and very discouraging, she says. Gerhardsen has mostly participated in the discussion about drug treatment of what she calls “very young” transgender people. SELF-CENSORSHIP: – After being noticed in Shinigami Eyes, I imposed a certain self-censorship and thought that I would never speak again in the trans debate, says Anki Gerhardsen. Photo: Sigurd Steinum / news – I mean I have done it in a respectful and objective way. And I am open to criticism, opposition and sharp discussion, because all public debaters must tolerate that. – But to be branded and placed in a booth that I do not belong in at all, without any right to defend myself, counter or nuance the picture, I do not accept, says Gerhardsen. NOTE: Jeremy Clarkson, known from TV series such as Top Gear and The Grand Tour, is highlighted in red by Shinigami Eyes. It seems that someone has marked him as a transgender player. Photo: Screenshot Ein says for freedom of expression The Data Inspectorate has decided on a ban because “Shinigami Eyes” has a negative effect on the public conversation. The tool violates the requirement for a legal basis for the processing of personal data. Those who are noticed will not be notified. Anki Gerhardsen supports the ban. – It is a saying for freedom of expression and the open conversation that drives society forward. I hope this ban means that the authoritarian part of the trans pipeline goes by itself and realizes that they must also support an open debate. – But transgender people are a vulnerable group. Do you understand that someone needs to protect themselves against utterances online? – Yes, I have a great understanding for that. But you should do it by turning it off, by not going into pages and threads that you can not read. Starting campaigns that brand people who mean something different by themselves, it is something completely different. I’m glad it’s seen as a stop to it. Gerhardsen thinks it is disappointing that FRI will not clearly distance itself from the tool. Would rather discuss the reasons It is difficult to get an overview of how many people have used Shinigami Eyes in Norway. Inge Aleksander Gjestvang is a member of the Association for Gender and Sexuality Diversity – FREE. He has registered that the Data Inspectorate will ban the tool Shinigami Eyes, and takes note of this information. THE GROUNDS: It is useful to take a closer look at the reasons why such tools are developed Photo: Foreningen FRI – I am not particularly familiar with the tool and have never tried it myself, but know that someone has used it to sort information and statements on Internet. – How does FRI react to such marking of persons in the public discourse? – On the one hand, one can discuss how this has affected the exchange of words and led to a factual exchange of opinions. On the other hand, one can discuss what experiences lie behind this need to sort out the information and statements we read, says Gjestvang. Bufdir’s living conditions survey from 2021 showed that half of the trans people who were asked had experienced harassment. 4 out of 10 have been exposed to negative comments – This undoubtedly affects how many people have to stand in discussions where your life, your rights and your access to health care are on the agenda. – Anki Gerhardsen himself has been marked red in Shinigami Eyes after being critical of drug treatment of transgender people. She is disappointed that FRI does not clearly distance itself from the browser tool. What do you say to that? – At a recording meeting in the Freedom of Expression Commission – where Gerhardsen, among others, sits – in March last year, FRI recorded how the speech space is delimited for transgender people as a result of incitement. I think it can also be useful to take a closer look at the reasons why such tools are being developed, even though the Data Inspectorate has now said its thing about Shinigami Eyes.
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Shinigami Eyes host banned in Norway – news Vestland
