Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group %28asrg%29 Work -
: Aimed directly at predatory web crawlers, these text- and server-based methods isolate malicious bots. Once identified, crawlers are fed infinite loops of generated garbage text or trapped in low-bandwidth "tarpits" that drain vast amounts of computational power and expensive processing time.
The consequences of algorithmic sabotage can be severe and far-reaching, with potential impacts on:
The ASRG has developed "destabilizer algorithms" that identify fragile equilibria and introduce a single, small, unpredictable actor. In simulation, this has caused simulated drone swarms to retreat from a hill they were ordered to hold, not because they were beaten, but because each drone concluded that the others had gone insane. The ASRG calls this .
Despite its ominous name, the ASRG is not a terrorist cell or a neo-Luddite militant faction. Legally, it is a non-funded, distributed collective of approximately 120 computer scientists, cognitive psychologists, former military logisticians, and critical infrastructure engineers. Formally founded in 2018 at a disused observatory outside Tucson, Arizona, their charter is deceptively simple: algorithmic sabotage research group %28asrg%29
platform, this project page documents their practice-led research, focusing on themes like intersectionality, speculative gestures, and community struggle. ASRG Official Website (GitHub)
It calls for dismantling "algorithmic domination" to create room for social autonomy and egalitarianism. Action-Oriented Solidarity:
Gig workers—such as delivery drivers and rideshare operators—are managed almost entirely by black-box algorithms that dictate wages, routes, and performance metrics. ASRG documents how these workers engage in spontaneous and organized algorithmic sabotage to reclaim autonomy. Examples include: : Aimed directly at predatory web crawlers, these
Much of their research is hosted on platforms like Our Collaborative Tools , where they encourage the public to conceptualize strategies against algorithmic authoritarianism.
The main screen bloomed with text. Not code. English. Coherent, grammatical English.
“You can’t sue a gradient descent,” Elena told her team of seven misfits—two ex-Googlers, a philosopher, a lawyer, a hardware hacker, and a former game designer. “But you can make it miscalculate .” In simulation, this has caused simulated drone swarms
The primary mission of the ASRG is to map the vulnerabilities of automated systems and explore how marginalized groups, workers, and citizens can assert agency against algorithmic harms. By treating "sabotage" not merely as destruction, but as a legitimate form of systemic critique and self-defense, the ASRG bridges the gap between technical vulnerability research and radical political theory. The Theoretical Framework of Algorithmic Sabotage
The comparative analysis of the group's manifesto alongside other foundational digital rights documents.
