Your Data Mirror

The project raised awareness among young adults of Generation Z about the traces they leave online. Using their own social media behavior – from likes and posts to shared content – it became clear how psychological profiles are created and used for political influence. Participants experienced firsthand how subtle digital manipulation works and why it is vital to consciously protect personal data. These insights were brought together in various formats with practical tips for everyday life.

The development of Your Data Mirror was based on an interdisciplinary approach. With the support of the Psychometrics Centre of the University of Cambridge, current research on psychometric profiling was incorporated, while partners such as Tactical Tech contributed their expertise on disinformation and digital literacy.

The project combines scientific methods with narrative communication, creating an approach that is both accessible and directly tangible. The focus was not only on analyzing users’ digital footprints and raising awareness of their misuse for opinion manipulation, but also on the question of how the resulting insights could be translated into practical, everyday recommendations for the audience.

Your Data Mirror received multiple awards, including several Webby Awards, the Lovie Award, and the Pädagogischer Medienpreis, underscoring its strong recognition in the field of digital education. In addition, the project was presented at a range of events: among others, with talks at re:publica, the rC3 Conference, YouMeCon, the Chaos Computer Club, and the Digital Social Summit, as well as a live presentation at Bread for the World.

The project was co-created with the creative agency Neeeu. Other partners included Ag-Prop (campaign development), the Kissinger Twins (interactive film), Tactical Tech (content development), and Studio Float (animations). We thank Amnesty International Germany, the University of Cambridge, and Freie Universität Berlin for their scientific and content support. The video production was funded by the Fonds Soziokultur.

A complete list of project credits can be found here.

Through its accompanying social media campaign, Your Data Mirror reached more than 3 million people in Germany. Over 50,000 users visited the information hub online and actively engaged with the web experience.

In this way, the project helped make the importance of protecting personal data tangible and raised awareness of the dangers of digital manipulation. It also strengthened our exchange with experts from science, civil society, and culture, leaving behind a resilient network for future projects.

Recent developments make it clear that the social climate is becoming increasingly polarized. The relevance of the issue is therefore greater than ever: current studies show that online hate speech and targeted opinion manipulation are on the rise, further polarizing public debate. Technological advances – from microtargeting to artificial intelligence – intensify these dynamics and, in the long run, pose a threat to democratic core values.

Building on the experience of Your Data Mirror, we are already working on new projects in the fields of media literacy, digital society, and the preservation of democracy. Together with a strong interdisciplinary network, we aim to use the knowledge gained to counter these developments in a sustainable way.