TfD Weekly - 7th Octover 2026
Film Club is October 16, MetCap's privacy failings, Mike Nikles on making council records searchable, and our volunteer meeting next week.
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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Civic Tech Toronto Recap
Topic: Canadian Council Records: Nothing but PDFs, and Toronto
Speaker: Mike Nikles, solo developer behind Civic Lens
Most Canadian municipalities publish council records as PDFs, often in one-off formats. Toronto's minutes are the exception. Mike's Civic Lens pulls these records into one place, traced back to source. What sets it apart from any existing system is that these records become retrievable and searchable for anyone. Since minutes can take time to be published, it also sends email alerts based on meeting videos.
Know a municipal clerk? Mike wants to roll Civic Lens out across the country and is looking for introductions to clerks who can bring their city's records on board. Reach out via Civic Lens on Bluesky.
Civic Tech Toronto meets every Tuesday. Subscribe for future events
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Film Club: The Sandbox
Our next TfD Film Club is on Friday, October 16. 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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MetCap's Inadequate Privacy Policy
The Toronto Star has recently reported that Canada's privacy watchdog has found that MetCap "is inappropriately collecting personal information from inside tenants' units" via the CCTV system at 105 Isabella Street. TfD stands with Javier Ruiz-Soler, who brought the complaint forward.
MetCap manages more than 22,000 units, yet until recently its CCTV policy was still a draft. The version now online leaves out details about retention period, audio, and storage. It also still says footage showing other people can't be shared with the person in it, which runs contrary to guidance by the federal Privacy Commissioner. Tenants have always had the right to know and access their data.
Read our full statement and Javier's account on LinkedIn
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TfD Volunteer Meeting
Our next volunteer meeting is next Wednesday, October 14 at 6 PM, online. If you've been meaning to get involved with Technologists for Democracy, now's the time. Come say hello and find out where you can pitch in.
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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
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Find Us Online
Follow TfD on Mastodon:
Technologists for Democracy (@[email protected]) - 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. Learn more at techfordemocracy.ca