We started Versatackle more than 2 years ago as a platform for online events. We’ve intentionally prioritized differently than a lot of tech companies and startups. We aren’t convinced that we’ve done everything right, but we are sure about our reasons for why.
We’ve always taken privacy very seriously. We want to learn from data, but not at the expense of infringing on the rights of our users. More and more, tech companies are prioritizing the ways that data can make them money over protecting users from the risks of their data being so thoroughly tracked. As people delete their period trackers so that states can’t prosecute them for ending or losing their pregnancies, we are being reminded how at risk our data is. And how data can be used to cause real harm to us as people. In order to participate in the tech world, each person has to agree dozens of terms of service and privacy policies that would take us hours to read. Even if we do take the time, our only options are to sign off or to walk away. Versatackle doesn’t want you to unwittingly sign away your privacy to use our platform. We want you to hold us accountable to protect your privacy. We want you to help us be more secure. We want to be a platform that supports your bodily autonomy in every way we can, including being able to talk about it at events on our platform without fear Big Brother could be listening.
That’s why Versatackle rooms have the option for end-to-end encryption. All users can select that option to make sure that you can have online conversations without fear of who else has access. (If you wonder why all our rooms aren’t end-to-end encrypted, it has to do with bandwidth and systems being able to handle the video load from multiple user to user streams.)
Everyone should have bodily autonomy. We’ve built our platform with the most marginalized people in mind. People with money and privilege have access to platforms already. They also have access to lawyers to protect their rights and privacy. We wanted to build a platform that people whose voices have been silenced can access and use as safely as possible. When the decision overturning Roe came out, it didn’t make me worried for myself or other people who have access to travel, private medicine, and legal help. It made me scared for the people who don’t, and it made me terrified that it would cause more and more people to be pushed into the group of people who don’t have access. Everyone should have access to the care they need.
Versatackle can’t make that happen, but we can create a place on the internet where you can meet to fight for those rights without worrying that the people who run the technology are funding the politicians and organizations who want to strip them away from you. Versatackle will never donate money to political campaigns of anti-choice politicians.
We are constantly working on making our platform more accessible. An inaccessible space means unequal access, unequal support, and unequal participation. Our platform will never be done, because there is no such thing as “accessible enough”. We will always keep making progress.
This is also why you can access our platform for free, and why we will never charge more for the accessibility features we are building. Currently in the pipeline is a feature adding voice to text. If you have recommendations for more features or changes, we’d love to hear them!
As we fight for autonomy, freedom, and privacy, we want you to know that you have an option for your online events that cares as much about your rights as you do. They are our rights, too. We want a better world. We want to build it with you.
Please help us reach more people, by sharing this message.
