TfD Weekly - 8th July 2026
It's been one year of TfD! Khasir reflects on where we started and where we're headed. Volunteer meeting, pedestrianization talk, and more inside.
Welcome to TfD Weekly
TfD Weekly is the newsletter of Technologists for Democracy, a Toronto-based grassroots organisation looking to keep tech accountable to the public. Each week we recap the discussion at Civic Tech Toronto, share updates and inform our audience about what is happening at the intersection of technology, privacy and democratic accountability.
This edition marks our first full year as an organisation! We have reflections from our steward Khasir Hean below.
Our active campaigns:
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One Year of TfD
It's been just over a year since Technologists for Democracy got off the ground. TfD steward Khasir Hean wrote a reflection on where we started, what we've accomplished, and where we're headed. It's been a busy, productive and highly enjoyable first year, and we want to thank you for playing a part in it.
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Civic Tech Toronto
This week at Civic Tech Toronto, Rodney Chan and Francesca Policarpio presented "The Road towards the Church Street Pedestrianization Pilot: Inspirations, Challenges, and Future Opportunities." The talk covered how the Church Street pedestrianization pilot came to be, the bureaucratic process it took to get approved, the challenges faced along the way, and what it means for the street's future resurfacing and the city's wider pedestrian policy framework.
Rodney is a fourth-year urban planning student at the University of Waterloo who co-leads TriTAG (Tri-Cities Transport Action Group) and co-hosts Dwell Time, a transit podcast. Francesca is a political organizer and Advisor for Stakeholder and Constituency Relations to Councillor Chris Moise, working to make Toronto more affordable and vibrant.
TfD meets every Tuesday at Civic Tech Toronto.
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Monthly Volunteer Meeting
Our next volunteer planning meeting is today, Wednesday July 8. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month on Jitsi Meet. Whether you want to get involved, pitch your own campaign idea, or just keep up with what we're doing, all are welcome.
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Stop Killing the Internet
TfD has endorsed Stop Killing the Internet, a global movement originating in the UK that opposes government policy that walls off the open internet under the guise of safety. Canada has seen one of these impositions up close with age verification mandates. This is just the newest addition to a slew of privacy-circumventing methods already in place like chat control and digital backdoors.
The motivations behind Stop Killing the Internet overlap closely with our goals at TfD. We are united in the fight against the erosion of privacy and democratic participation online. Partners include OpenMedia, Big Brother Watch, Open Rights Group, Electronic Frontiers Australia, and others.
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Community Event: Surveillance 101
Toronto Resisting Surveillance Systems (TORSS) is hosting Surveillance 101, a discussion about surveillance tech being deployed in Toronto and the implications for our rights, privacy, and democracy.
Thursday, July 23, 6:30-7:30pm Trinity St. Paul's United Church, 427 Bloor Street West
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Find Us Online
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
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Until next time,
The TfD Team