Algo-Resist

Governments and technology are inextricably linked. From name and address lists to the tax authorities, data centers, algorithmic decision-making, and the development of 3D city maps, almost every government organization uses technology to manage policy implementation.

However, the use of what we might call "automation technologies" is not without risk. For example, risk profiling has played a prominent role in unlawful government actions, much data-driven policy seems to operate in a legal gray area, and data centers are being built even though they should not be permitted on paper.

Whether such technology-related risks exist or may arise is a question that civil servants are expected not only to ask themselves and each other, but also to answer. But how do you do that, and on what basis? What if the answer is that a particular use of technology is not legitimate? What do you do then? What can you do? Questions about what action can be taken have received relatively little attention in existing research.

As part of the Algo-Resist project, Waag organised workshops to help civil servants navigate technology-driven policies they consider problematic. How do you recognise problematic technology policies when you are directly involved in them? And what can you do about policies that cross the line? What room is there for resistance or opposition within the systems you work in every day? The focus was on situations where technology policies raise concerns, for example due to unclear rules, opaque systems or risky technologies. Participants from different government organisations discussed situations they encounter, or might encounter, in their work.

The workshops took place on 11 May and 30 June 2026. During the sessions, civil servants shared their experiences and explored how they could critically respond to technology policies. The aim was not to judge their actions or prescribe what they should do, but to better understand how they deal with situations in which technology policies cause problems.

Results and insights

Two preliminary insights emerged from the workshops. The first was that civil servants respond to problematic technology policies in different ways, ranging from expressing criticism and providing advice to changing procedures, contracts or technologies. Participants often regarded expressing criticism as a normal part of their work, while actually implementing changes was more likely to be seen as an act of resistance. The second insight was that the room for criticism depends not only on individual civil servants, but also on their roles, colleagues and relationships within an organisation.

These insights provide starting points for further research into how civil servants can influence technology policies, a question that also relates to Waag's broader mission to critically examine technology and put public values at the centre.

About the research

Algo-Resist was part of Dr. Gijs van Maanen's "Mundane Tech Governance" project, in which he conducts research on public-private interactions in the Netherlands within the technology domain. He is particularly interested in how this distinction is made in practice and how it influences the way government develops technology.

In this project, Waag and Tilburg University worked together with Dr Aviva de Groot of Leiden University.

If you would like to learn more about the research, please email g.vanmaanen ⟨ at ⟩ tilburguniversity.edu.