Had a quick look and Donovan is a board member of Check My Ads [1], "an organization that pushes advertisers to ditch right-leaning media" and they've wrote articles in favour of social media bans [2]. They're probably referring to that.
On top of that the "Public Interest tech lab" is but a giant data harvesting machine and most of the apps they create are either about physically tracking you, organizing students into various cells that get benefits for "attending events" and communication within those cells or various politics focused applications.
Here is their privacy statement (of the app that holds all your centralized data):
> MyDataCan may access, use, and disclose Your MDC Data as follows:
> To respond to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process; in response to a request for cooperation from law enforcement or another government agency; to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding actual or suspected violations of our Terms of Service or this Privacy Statement, illegal activities, fraud, security or technical issues, misuse of the Platform or an App, or other misconduct, or to enforce our Terms of Service or this Privacy Statement; as otherwise may be required by applicable law; or to protect our rights, property, or safety or those of others.
Also they encrypt none of your data, and the only encryption function they have can encrypt your data only upon your explicit request after uploading it and only the data about yourself shared with you IN YOUR PERSONAL COPY OF THE DATA.
Also, they advertise
> providing access to technology and data for public interest research and development.
