Cathy Davidson, co-founder and co-director of HASTAC, and a professor of cultural history and technology at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, said that the secret to the network’s good relationship with its users has been its decision to treat user data with respect from the outset. Privacy and security have been priorities for the network since its inception, and are built into every facet of the network.

Run as a nonprofit with support from Arizona State University, the City University of New York and others, HASTAC has pledged to “never, ever, ever” sell or share users’ data with third parties, said Davidson. To do so would be to destroy the site’s reputation, “and reputation, in academe, is everything,” she said.

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