Technologists for Democracy

Technologists For Democracy Canadians using technology towards better democracy for all

We now have a newsletter! Check it out here:
buttondown.com/techfordemoc...

Canadians deserve to have a say over if, how, and to what extent AI is part of our future. That's why we're participating in the People's Consultation on AI, and we strongly encourage you and those in your community to as well. Submissions are due March 15:

www.peoplesaiconsultation.ca

“Privacy is an essential part of a healthy democracy and without privacy, we risk eroding a lot of the freedoms we have as Canadians,” says TfD's Khasir Hean.

@openmedia.org @ttcriders.bsky.social @moretransitso.bsky.social

Letter to Cineplex on Facial Detection In response to Cineplex Digital Media’s digital billboards performing facial detection, we submitted this letter.

We've sent a letter to Cineplex Digital Media with our concerns surrounding use of facial detection by their digital billboards.

Privacy is a fundamental human right.

Read the letter here: techfordemocracy.ca/2025/12/04/l...

#privacy #surveillance #advertising

One of the digital billboards that are performing facial detection at Union Station Bus Terminal.

Close up of the camera on top of the billboard.

Cineplex has ads at Union Bus Terminal and across Canada. These ads are performing facial detection on anyone passing by. This is a serious privacy concern.

Read our open letter to Cineplex:
drive.google.com/file/d/10B_C...

Sign onto the letter by Sun Nov 30:
cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/for...

#privacy

Canada's next extractive industry: How AI is following the fossil fuel playbook Ottawa is betting nearly a billion on artificial intelligence, ignoring warnings of its environmental risks. Just like Big Oil, Big Tech is building infrastructure that will be nearly impossible to di...

“We should be calling the province to be accountable for spending funds and making sure that our money, our taxpayer dollars, are being spent accordingly, are being spent responsibly," says TfD's Khasir Hean.

ricochet.media/climate/cana...

Thanks to @bccla.bsky.social!
#ai #equity #privacy #canada

OPEN LETTER to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation from civil society organizations and individuals opposing "National Sprint" consultation on AI strategy - BC Civil Liberti... The Honourable Mélanie JolyMinister of IndustryHouse of CommonsOttawa, OntarioK1A 0A6 The Honourable Evan SolomonMinister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital InnovationHouse of CommonsOttawa, Ontar...

We've joined more than 160 civil society and human rights organizations, academics, field experts, and privacy and equality advocates across Canada, calling on Minister Solomon and ISED to extend national AI consultation and recreate the Task Force to include human rights representation. Read here:

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

We're going public today with a powerful new tool for researching, following and reporting on local governments across Canada.

It’s dragging cities and towns into the 21st century by making 550 municipalities’ public meetings easy to search, all in one place, for the first time.

Thanks to our volunteers who helped bring about awareness of the issues around this pilot! Innovation does not have to come at the cost of personal privacy and surveillance.

Speed Cameras are an Effective Technology for Public Safety TfD’s press release on automated speed cameras in response to Ontario’s decision to ban them.

PRESS RELEASE:
Speed Cameras are an Effective Technology for Public Safety

Read here:
techfordemocracy.ca/2025/09/25/s...

Fix Bill C-8: Stop the Fast-Track of a Flawed Cybersecurity Bill Huge encryption risks, same secret orders. 🚨 Don’t let it fast track through Parliament. Speak up and tell your MP to #FixBillC8 now! 📣 https://openmedia.org/FixBillC8

🇨🇦’s Cybersecurity bill is back! Bill C-8 is Bill C-26’s twin. 👯‍♀️ Huge encryption risks, same secret orders. 🚨 Don’t let #BillC8 fast track through Parliament. Speak up and tell your MP to #FixBillC8 now! 📣 openmedia.org/FixBillC8-bsky
@openmediaorg.bsky.social

We'll be drawing the line along with Canadians across the country tomorrow, September 20th, to protest against growing wealth inequality and exploitation.

Join us in Toronto at Yonge & Dundas at 2pm!
drawtheline.world/canada

We had a great time at the panel last week and learned a lot!

#toronto #tech #politics
@luisasotomayor.bsky.social @vassb.bsky.social @ghadaa.bsky.social @paulafletcherto.bsky.social

No, Your iPhone Isn't Listening to You. Here's What's Really Happening There are lots of reasons an ad pops up on your phone, but none involve a microphone listening.

"The unsettling feeling that your device is spying on you is real — but the culprit isn't a secret microphone. It's the data broker industry," EFF’s @evacide.bsky.social tells @CNET.com. www.cnet.com/tech/servic...

Self-driving delivery vehicles spark privacy concerns - Annex Gleaner, Volume 31, Number 3, August 2025

Page 2 of the story.

Read about the privacy concerns we've raised with a local self-driving pilot happening in Toronto!

Full text at: techfordemocracy.ca/2025/08/25/a...

#privacy #surveillance #toronto

Group shot of attendees and volunteers at the end of Civic Spark 2025!

Khasir Hean hosts the Technologists for Democracy unconference session.

We hosted a session at #CivicSpark last weekend and had a great time!

#CivicTech #Toronto
@civictechto.bsky.social @khasir.bsky.social

Matt Elliott: Yes, tech can be a force for good. Meet the people hacking Toronto for the better The volunteers who created the Civic Dashboard and BikeSpace apps this weekend mark their 10th anniversary of brainstorming and tech development with a two-day event called Civic Spark.

My @thestar.com column this week: Civic Tech in Toronto turns ten!

A look at some of the people getting together each week to hack away at our problems via @civictechto.bsky.social — and what City Hall could be doing to support their work.

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Join us in #Toronto on Sunday where we'll be running a session!

Sign the Petition Stop Bill S-209’s De-Anonymization of Every Canadian Adult

It was only a matter of time, but Canada has joined the censorship bandwagon with Bill S-209.

Sign the petition, call your MPs, raise hell.

www.change.org/p/stop-bill-...

Hello world!