TfD Weekly - 4th June 2026
Join us June 10, reflect on our Film Club debut, take action on Bill C-22, and share your views on data sovereignty.
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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TfD Film Club: The End of the Internet
Last week we held our first TfD Film Club night at the Revue Cinema. We screened The End of the Internet by Dylan Reibling, a documentary that traces how the internet shifted from a vision of radical decentralisation to the centralised, corporate-controlled grid we have today.
Thank you to everyone who came out, and to Shasha for moderating the Q&A. We reflected on the experience on Mastodon the morning after:
Technologists for Democracy: "Last night we hosted our first Film Club night at…" - TheCanadian.Social
Last night we hosted our first Film Club night at the Revue Cinema. We saw the movie « The End of the Internet » by Dylan Reibling. It shows how the internet went from an idea of a very decentralized network to the centralized grid that it is today, with the control exerted by major corps and governments. There’s another screening on Sunday and a few coming up in Vancouver. Larger release is in the plan https://theendoftheinternetfilm.com/upcoming-screenings #toronto #toevents #documen...
We're already thinking about what to screen next. If you have a film in mind that fits the TfD wheelhouse (technology, privacy, democracy, surveillance), reply to this email with your recommendation.
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Next Volunteer Meeting: June 10th
Our monthly volunteer meeting takes place on Wednesday, June 10th. Whether you're a long-time member or new to TfD, this is a great chance to find out what we're working on and how to get involved.
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What Does Data Sovereignty Mean to You?
We want to know how our community thinks about Canada's data sovereignty and digital sustainability. We've put together a short survey and would love to hear your perspective.
The questions cover:
- What data sovereignty means to you
- What the infrastructure for it looks like in practice
- How it intersects with federal and provincial initiatives
- Whether you think there's an expedited timeline for Canada to achieve it
- The challenges and benefits you see
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Bill C-22: TfD Signs OpenMedia Open Letter
TfD signed on to OpenMedia's Bill C-22 open letter which was sent to members of parliament, the prime minister, the federal party leaders, the minister of public safety, and the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada. OpenMedia's Matt Hatfield testified to the senate about the bill to raise points on digital backdoors, law enforcement data access, and metadata retention. In a report by the Canadian Press, Hatfield asked MPs to "thoroughly reform or abandon" the problematic elements of the bill. We hope the bill is withdrawn or significantly changed after its review period. But there is a chance that this passes nonetheless given the Liberals have a majority.
Read our open letter to the SECU
Write to your MP to stop Bill C-22 via OpenMedia
Sign onto the petition to withdraw Bill C-22
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Find Us Online
Follow TfD on Mastodon:
Technologists for Democracy (@techfordemocracy@thecanadian.social) - TheCanadian.Social
7 Posts, 24 Following, 72 Followers · We are Canadians keeping tech accountable. Canadians using technology towards better democracy for all
Follow TfD on LinkedIn: Technologists for Democracy
Follow TfD on Instagram: techfordemocracy
Follow TfD on Bluesky: techfordemocracy.bsky.social
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Technologists for Democracy is a community of Canadians who work with technology towards better democracy for all.