--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Histories of discrimination can live on…" description: "\"Histories of discrimination can live on in digital platforms, and if they go unquestioned, they become part of the logic of everyday algorithmic system..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg" --- # Histories of discrimination can live on in digital… ![“Histories of discrimination can live on in digital platforms, and if they go unquestioned, they become part of the logic of everyday algorithmic systems.” quote by Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg) > “Histories of discrimination can live on in digital platforms, and if they go unquestioned, they become part of the logic of everyday algorithmic systems.” [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discriminatory histories persist in digital platforms, shaping algorithmic logic when unchallenged. **In simple terms:** Past bias continues in tech, influencing everyday algorithms. Key Takeaway Question and correct hidden biases. Themes justice technology bias ethics Mood concerned critical Type analytical informative When to use this quote - policy design - AI auditing - public awareness - education - regulation Key Concepts algorithmic fairness historical bias platform governance Questions to Reflect On - How do we detect hidden discrimination? - What steps can redesign algorithmic logic? A Different Perspective Ignoring bias can legitimize unfair outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [We urgently need more due process with the algorithmic systems influencing our lives. If you are given a score that jeopardizes your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-urgently-need-more-due-process-with-the-algorithmic-systems/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [“Cathy O’Neil claims that this reliance on historical data is a fundamental problem with many algorithmic systems: “Big data processes codify the past,” she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wachter-boettcher/cathy-o-neil-claims-that-this-reliance-on-historical-data-is-a/) [Sara Wachter-Boettcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wachter-boettcher/) > [We should have equivalent due-process protections for algorithmic decisions as for human decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-should-have-equivalent-due-process-protections-for-algorithmic/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Lisp is still #1 for key algorithmic techniques such as recursion and condescension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verity-stob/lisp-is-still-1-for-key-algorithmic-techniques-such-as-recursion-and/) Verity Stob > [It's urgent that companies tell their own stories on digital platforms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-edelman/it-s-urgent-that-companies-tell-their-own-stories-on-digital-platforms/) [Richard Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-edelman/) > [From the very beginning, Americans have refused to tolerate unchecked power. We must now press our legislators to protect us from the unchecked power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/from-the-very-beginning-americans-have-refused-to-tolerate-unchecked/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [Digital platforms are worthless without content. They're shiny sacks with bells and whistles, but without content, they're empty sacks. It is not about pixels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/digital-platforms-are-worthless-without-content-they-re-shiny-sacks/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [What supermarkets did to small neighbourhood shops is what digital platforms will do to cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-bhatt/what-supermarkets-did-to-small-neighbourhood-shops-is-what-digital/) [Pooja Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-bhatt/) > [A lot of people, be it writers, filmmakers, actors or technicians, are getting opportunities because of digital platforms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-mathur/a-lot-of-people-be-it-writers-filmmakers-actors-or-technicians-are/) [Arjun Mathur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-mathur/) > [I am looking forward to work on digital platforms more often than not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arbaaz-khan/i-am-looking-forward-to-work-on-digital-platforms-more-often-than-not/) [Arbaaz Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arbaaz-khan/) > [As a creator on digital platforms, you are your own director, producer and writer. It is a lot of work and responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonita-gandhi/as-a-creator-on-digital-platforms-you-are-your-own-director-producer/) [Jonita Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonita-gandhi/) > [We need, let's say, municipal digital platforms, for teaching, for schooling, for education, but also, of course, for the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/we-need-let-s-say-municipal-digital-platforms-for-teaching-for/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [A lot of countries have advanced capabilities. And given the vulnerabilities of our infrastructure and our economies to digital platforms, we have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/a-lot-of-countries-have-advanced-capabilities-and-given-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There's a real difference now in what you can get out of film and the rise of digital platforms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-devlin/there-s-a-real-difference-now-in-what-you-can-get-out-of-film-and-the/) [Dean Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-devlin/) > [I think my biggest advice to filmmakers is to look into the many digital platforms that exist for you and your team to distribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurora-guerrero/i-think-my-biggest-advice-to-filmmakers-is-to-look-into-the-many/) [Aurora Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurora-guerrero/) ## More by Kate Crawford > [Self-tracking using a wearable device can be fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/self-tracking-using-a-wearable-device-can-be-fascinating/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [We need to be vigilant about how we design and train these machine-learning systems, or we will see ingrained forms of bias built into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-need-to-be-vigilant-about-how-we-design-and-train-these-machine/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Big data sets are never complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/big-data-sets-are-never-complete/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [While many big-data providers do their best to de-identify individuals from human-subject data sets, the risk of re-identification is very real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/while-many-big-data-providers-do-their-best-to-de-identify/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [People think 'big data' avoids the problem of discrimination because you are dealing with big data sets, but, in fact, big data is being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/people-think-big-data-avoids-the-problem-of-discrimination-because/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [There's been the emergence of a philosophy that big data is all you need. We would suggest that, actually, numbers don't speak for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/there-s-been-the-emergence-of-a-philosophy-that-big-data-is-all-you/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Data and data sets are not objective; they are creations of human design. We give numbers their voice, draw inferences from them, and define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/data-and-data-sets-are-not-objective-they-are-creations-of-human/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [We urgently need more due process with the algorithmic systems influencing our lives. If you are given a score that jeopardizes your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-urgently-need-more-due-process-with-the-algorithmic-systems/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination are being built into the machine-learning algorithms that underlie the technology behind many 'intelligent' systems that shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/sexism-racism-and-other-forms-of-discrimination-are-being-built-into/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Books about technology start-ups have a pattern. First, there's the grand vision of the founders, then the heroic journey of producing new worlds from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/books-about-technology-start-ups-have-a-pattern-first-there-s-the/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [The amount of money and industrial energy that has been put into accelerating AI code has meant that there hasn't been as much energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/the-amount-of-money-and-industrial-energy-that-has-been-put-into/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Like all technologies before it, artificial intelligence will reflect the values of its creators. So inclusivity matters - from who designs it to who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/like-all-technologies-before-it-artificial-intelligence-will-reflect/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [If you're not thinking about the way systemic bias can be propagated through the criminal justice system or predictive policing, then it's very likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/if-you-re-not-thinking-about-the-way-systemic-bias-can-be-propagated/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [We should have equivalent due-process protections for algorithmic decisions as for human decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-should-have-equivalent-due-process-protections-for-algorithmic/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [There is no quick technical fix for a social problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/there-is-no-quick-technical-fix-for-a-social-problem/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) [Explore all 42 Kate Crawford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) ## More Digital quotes > [I had an idea for a technologically advanced luxury watch. I got involved in digital art and neon painting and put on shows of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-moroder/i-had-an-idea-for-a-technologically-advanced-luxury-watch-i-got/) [Giorgio Moroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-moroder/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [When I went to medical school, the term 'digital' applied only to rectal exams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-topol/when-i-went-to-medical-school-the-term-digital-applied-only-to-rectal/) [Eric Topol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-topol/) > [We want to free our citizens from the burden of excessive paper documents in every office. We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [I'm not mad at digital media at all; I just see the importance and beauty of physical media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/i-m-not-mad-at-digital-media-at-all-i-just-see-the-importance-and/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) > [To bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans, the FCC needs to make it easier for companies to build and expand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/to-bring-the-benefits-of-the-digital-age-to-all-americans-the-fcc/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [It is very hard to transform your culture and your workforce to be a relevant company in the digital world if all of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/it-is-very-hard-to-transform-your-culture-and-your-workforce-to-be-a/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [Many American TV actors employ agents, managers, business managers, publicists and stylists, and are now adding digital media manager to the list. Their job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-bellman/many-american-tv-actors-employ-agents-managers-business-managers/) [Gina Bellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-bellman/) > [“I've decided that has been the great achievement of our age: to so thoroughly flood the planet with megabits that every image and fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/i-ve-decided-that-has-been-the-great-achievement-of-our-age-to-so/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [But I had never drawn on a tablet before. I've been doing pencil and paper and film for almost 20 years. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hertzfeldt/but-i-had-never-drawn-on-a-tablet-before-i-ve-been-doing-pencil-and/) [Don Hertzfeldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hertzfeldt/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [As human beings, we are the only organisms that create for the sheer stupid pleasure of doing so. Whether it's laying out a garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/as-human-beings-we-are-the-only-organisms-that-create-for-the-sheer/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [I do think there's something about the digital age that is increasingly dehumanising us. We're in this very weird place where we're being pulled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/i-do-think-there-s-something-about-the-digital-age-that-is/) [J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/) > [A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realise that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl and that’s because the record companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/a-lot-of-people-that-buy-vinyl-today-don-t-realise-that-they-re/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) [Browse all 1,708 Digital quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Histories of discrimination can live on in digital platforms, and if they go unquestioned, they become part of the logic of everyday algorithmic systems.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kate Crawford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on-in-digital-platforms-and-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Digital" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on-in-digital-platforms-and-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/kate-crawford-15804_digital_histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on_1943705.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Histories of discrimination can live on in digital platforms, and if they go unquestioned, they become part…” — Kate Crawford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kate Crawford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Histories of discrimination can live on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on-in-digital-platforms-and-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/histories-of-discrimination-can-live-on-in-digital-platforms-and-if/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```