TfD Weekly - 12th August 2026
Volunteer meeting tonight, upcoming webinar on Waymo & Daniel Bekerman talks worker-owned streaming platforms at Civic Tech Toronto
Welcome to TfD Weekly
TfD Weekly is the newsletter of Technologists for Democracy (TfD), a Toronto-based civic tech organisation working at the intersection of technology, privacy, and democratic accountability. Each week we recap what's happening at Civic Tech Toronto, share updates on our campaigns, and keep an eye on legislation that affects Canadians' digital rights.
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Monthly Volunteer Meeting: Tonight!
Our monthly volunteer meeting is tonight. All are welcome to join, and you can add points to the agenda through the event page.
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This Week at Civic Tech Toronto
This week's speaker was Daniel Bekerman, founder of Scythia Films and producer of over 100 films. Included in his catalogue is The Apprentice, a film about Donald Trump's early career, which won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture in 2025.
When trying to get The Apprentice out onto streaming platforms in the US, he faced immense pushback from companies that didn't want to get tied up in legal troubles. Daniel identified this as a wider pattern of media coming to heel at the shifting of political winds, abandoning the very storytellers that attract audiences.
In response, he decided to build his own worker-owned alternative. The vision is to bring about wholesale changes in relationships between creators, studios and distribution channels.
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Upcoming Event: Say No to Waymo Labour Webinar
Our open letter about Waymo was just the first steps towards more oversight and accountability within the robotaxi industry. On Wednesday August 26th we'll be hosting an online session where you can hear directly from the people who would be most-affected by Waymo's entry into the Canadian market.
Taking the stage will be Earla Philips, a rideshare driver and advocate, and Camila Justino, a data annotator. They will share how automation will affect their parts of the industry, with a discussion and Q&A after. This is a chance to see the human impact of new technology, and learn what you can actually do about it.
Registration is now live, sign up at the embed below.
Say No to Waymo Labour Webinar · Luma
Join us for a webinar on Wednesday August 26th to learn more about the jobs Waymo's driverless taxis seek to automate and the work they need to stay afloat.…
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Technologists for Democracy is a community of Canadians who work with technology towards better democracy for all. Learn more at techfordemocracy.ca
Until next time, The TfD Team