TfD Weekly - 19th August 2026
Waymo labour webinar next week, Surveillance Stroll returns this September, and TPL's CIO on surviving a cyberattack 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.
Our active campaigns:
Previous campaigns:
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This Week at Civic Tech Toronto
This week's speaker was Steve Till-Rogers, Director of Digital Strategy and Chief Information Officer at the Toronto Public Library. The TPL is the largest public library in the country, and Steve's team ensures that all 100 branches across the city are functioning smoothly.
Steve's responsibilities came to the fore on October 28th 2023, when the TPL system was the victim of a cyberattack. We were given a detailed breakdown into how the TPL team contained and assessed the threat, restoring the 5000+ devices across the city back into working condition.
The TPL has since been sharing its expertise in systems resilience across public sector organisations.
Upcoming Civic Tech Toronto Events
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Say No to Waymo: Labour Webinar Next Week
Our labour webinar is one week away. On Wednesday August 26th, 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.
Register now so you don't miss it.
Say No to Waymo Labour Webinar on Luma
Want to get caught up before the webinar? This video from Good Work provides some helpful context on what's happening with driverless cars right now:
The fight over driverless cars is here
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TfD Urban Walk Series: The Surveillance Stroll
We've put together a much-anticipated sequel for our Jane's Walk tour that took place this summer! Join us on Sunday September 6th for a walk through Toronto's Downtown Core to understand what privacy laws look like in practice.
We'll start at Union Station, venture through the PATH and you'll use our Privacy Checklist to identify the red flags in these public spaces. We'll explain what's happening, how tech ties into privacy, and what you can do about it.
This is a free event, and spaces are limited. Sign up ASAP so you don't miss out.
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Until next time,
The TfD Team
Technologists for Democracy is a community of Canadians who work with technology towards better democracy for all. Learn more at techfordemocracy.ca