HIV na era dos algoritmos: vigilância, estigma e subjetividade nos aplicativos móveis

Waldir Barros Cavalcante Leal Filho; Guilherme Augusto Souza Prado

doi:10.5433/1679-0383.2026.v47.54180

HIV in the Age of Algorithms: Surveillance, Stigma, and Subjectivity in Mobile Applications

Authors

Waldir Barros Cavalcante Leal Filho Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6000-8903
Guilherme Augusto Souza Prado Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9318-8580

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0383.2026.v47.54180

Keywords:

HIV, AIDS, Psychology, Apps, Health

Abstract

This research analyzes the impact of mobile applications on the lives of people living with HIV (PLHIV), investigating how these digital tools influence health management, access to information, and the production of subjectivities. Adopting a multilevel methodology inspired by Actor-Network Theory and App Studies, the study examined four applications (Grindr, Pozlife Community, Viva Bem, and Liverpool HIV iChart) through: (1) interface and usability analysis; (2) cross-examination of Terms of Use and Privacy Policies; (3) identification of trackers within installation packages; and (4) review of user narratives in online forums. The results reveal a fundamental paradox: the promises of autonomy and care are systematically undermined by technical infrastructures and economic logics that reproduce stigmas. The study identified predatory commercial surveillance in Grindr, stigmatizing segregation in Pozlife, state neglect in Viva Bem, and institutional opacity in Liverpool HIV iChart. It concludes that these applications, far from being neutral tools, act as agents of subjectivation that often reinforce the very systems of control and exclusion they claim to overcome.

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Author Biographies

Waldir Barros Cavalcante Leal Filho, Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba

Undergraduate student in Psychology at the Federal University of the Parnaíba Delta (UFDPAR).

Guilherme Augusto Souza Prado, Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba

PhD in Psychology from Fluminense Federal University.

References

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Published

2026-10-30

How to Cite

LEAL FILHO, Waldir Barros Cavalcante; PRADO, Guilherme Augusto Souza. HIV in the Age of Algorithms: Surveillance, Stigma, and Subjectivity in Mobile Applications. Semina: Ciências Sociais e Humanas, [S. l.], v. 47, p. 176–187, 2026. DOI: 10.5433/1679-0383.2026.v47.54180. Disponível em: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/seminasoc/article/view/54180. Acesso em: 4 nov. 2026.

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Vol. 47 (2026): Fluxo Contínuo (Seção livre)

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