TfD Weekly - 2nd October 2026
Film Club returns with The Sandbox and a director Q&A, our volunteer meeting is October 14, and Sara Grimes on why age checks for kids put everyone's data at risk
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:
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Civic Tech Toronto Recap
Topic: Ban the Kid, Keep Their Data
Speaker: Sara M. Grimes, Full Professor in Communication Studies at McGill University.
Canada is among the countries exploring social media bans for children. While this sits alongside requirements like safer defaults and stronger controls on what platforms can recommend, enforcing any of it first requires knowing how old every single user is.
Sara Grimes of McGill University's Kids Play Tech Lab walked us through what this means in practice.
While it's easy to agree with the goal of keeping children safer online, age verification comes with its own risks. It relies on photo and video footage that needs to be securely stored, adding to a growing list of sensitive data held by companies.
A landmark verdict from earlier this year showed that social media is addictive by design, contributing to the revenue generated on these platforms. A ban puts the onus on users rather than mandating changes to platform design, which critics, parents and researchers alike have stated would be a more effective course of action.
Civic Tech Toronto meets every Tuesday. Subscribe for future events
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Film Club: The Sandbox
Our next TfD Film Club is 2 weeks away. We're screening The Sandbox at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, with director Kenya-Jade Pinto joining us for a Q&A and a hangout afterwards.
The Sandbox looks at how national borders have become testing grounds for AI, drones and biometric surveillance, through the people building this technology and those whose lives are governed by it. From the Arizona desert to refugee camps in Greece and data-labelling centres in Nairobi, it's a global phenomenon that deserves more public scrutiny.
Watch the trailer and sign up on Luma. Film tickets are bought separately, and there's a TfD discount code on the event page. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot soon.
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TfD Volunteer Meeting
Our next volunteer meeting is online on Wednesday, October 14 at 6 PM. If you're interested in getting involved with Technologists for Democracy, come say hello.
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Say No to Waymo
Waymo still has its sights set on Ontario, and our campaign is still going. If you haven't added your name yet, there's still time to tell decision-makers that robotaxis shouldn't come at the cost of workers, public transit and public safety.
Sign the Say No to Waymo petition
Rideshare drivers needed for a research study
An academic study is looking for 20 to 30 rideshare drivers with three or more years of experience to compare earnings before and after upfront fares, using their actual Uber trip data.
If that's you or someone you know, fill out the interest form or email [email protected].
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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