MIT's Data + Feminism Lab opens technofascism course

MIT's Data + Feminism Lab is opening a nine-month program, Technofascism, Feminism and Democracy, that meets the third Tuesday of each month from September 2026 through May 2027 by Zoom, in English with live Spanish interpretation. The course page describes a program that "explores how large technology firms, social media platforms, and AI have enabled democratic erosion and state violence."

The syllabus asks whether "technofascism" accurately describes current phenomena compared to historical fascism, and works through monthly units: Fascism 101 in October, Tech Oligarchy in November, Microfascism in December, and AI & Eugenics in February, with guest scholars including Dr. Julie E. Cohen, Dr. Rosana Pinheiro-Machado, Dr. Patricia MacCormack, and Dr. Thema Monroe-White. Organizers include Catherine D'Ignazio, "Director of Data + Feminism Lab; author of Data Feminism and Counting Feminicide," and Becca Lewis, whose work "focuses on right-wing ideology and Silicon Valley politics."

Two researchers we track shared the syllabus when it went up. Participants commit five to thirteen hours a month across virtual lectures, two readings, and a discussion board post.