39C3

In a world dominated by surveillance and digital control, oral languages are constantly monitored, but sign languages remain largely invisible to automated systems. This session explores the intersection of hacker culture, Deaf culture, and communication, questioning dominant linguistic norms and hearing privilege. Participants will experiment with sign language as a tool for privacy, creativity, and subversion, explore collaborative multilingual communication, and reflect on the politics of visibility and language power. Open to all signers, non-signers, and curious minds ready to hack communication.

Key themes:

Surveillance and privacy

Hacking communication

Sign language as a free / untraceable space

Politics of visibility and language power

Experimentation, creativity, and reinvention of norms