In Her New Memoir, The Power of One, Haugen Warns That a Lack of Transparency in Big Tech Continues to Cause Harm

November 7, 2023 - DemocracyXChange (DXC) has unveiled its first featured speaker, responsible tech advocate Frances Haugen, for the fifth edition of Canada’s annual democracy summit, which connects, celebrates and equips people who are taking action to strengthen democracy and civil society. 

In 2021, after sharing tens of thousands of pages of internal documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission and The Wall Street Journal, Haugen’s disclosures about Facebook (now Meta), which revealed that the company changed its algorithm to reward extremism, inspired widespread public debate on government social media regulation. Since her revelations, Haugen has been instrumental in sounding the alarm on rising online threats to democracy, and a leading advocate for policies that make tech companies more accountable and transparent. 

Co-presented by OCAD University, the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Open Democracy Project, DXC24 will cover: trust and mistrust in institutions, social and economic inequality, the role of artists and designers in strengthening democracy, and the integrity of information; with a special focus on the role of democracies in confronting the existential threat of climate change. The Summit is open to all members of the public, and brings together students, practitioners, and leaders from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. 

“Conflict, emerging technologies and the rise of populism have created opportunities to weaken democratic institutions in Canada and around the world,” said Karim Bardeesy, Executive Director of the Dais. “DXC24 will bring together people with the courage and conviction to lead through the turbulence and mobilize positive action.”

“We are all living in a dangerous information environment where platforms misused by bad actors power the indiscriminate spread of misinformation and disinformation. We can’t sustain a healthy democracy in this situation. DXC24 is a necessary gathering that brings together communities of artists, journalists, civil servants, politicans, not-for-profit and industry leaders, students and more who are invested in creating a shared evidence-based reality that is the foundation for a more just and equitable future for all,” says OCAD U President and Vice-Chancellor, Ana Serrano. 

DXC24 will take place on campus at OCAD U and TMU, April 11–13, 2024 in Toronto. Early bird tickets are now on sale at: democracyxchange.org. To get #DXC24 community news and updates, sign up here. More speakers and event details will be added in the coming months. 

About DemocracyXChange

DemocracyXChange (DXC) connects, celebrates and equips people who are taking action to strengthen democracy. Co-produced by OCAD U, The Open Democracy Project and the Dais at TMU, Canada’s premier annual democracy summit takes place in Toronto from April 11–13, 2024. Join us and help tackle today’s most urgent civic issues. 

Web: democracyxchange.org | Instagram: @democracyxchange  | X: @dxcsummit | Facebook: dxcsummit | #DXC24

For media inquiries, please contact Sue Holland.

About the Dais at TMU

The Dais is an action-oriented public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

For inquiries or an interview, please contact Karim Bardeesy, Executive Director, Leadership Lab, at 416-556-1490 (phone / text) or kbardeesy@torontomu.ca.

dais.ca | @daisTMU

About OCAD U

OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. We’re a world-famous hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity. We embrace collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design. Students benefit from hands-on studio learning in small classrooms and have access to state-of-the-art shops and studios for both traditional and digital creation. Alongside a diverse and supportive team of instructors and peers, our students gain employable skills. Our graduates work in different sectors such as urban planning, environmental design, gaming, film, animation, publishing, illustration, graphic design, visual arts and arts administration.For inquiries or an interview, please contact Karen McCarthy, Director of Communications and Media, at 514-826-0597 or kmccarthy@ocadu.ca

Web: OCAD University | X: @OCAD | Facebook: ocaduniversity | Instagram: @ocaduniversity | TikTok: @ocaduniversity 

About Open Democracy Project

Open Democracy Project is working to strengthen and evolve the practice of democracy in Canada through contributing to the growth of Canada’s democracy sector. It is a not-for-profit incorporated in Canada and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Open Democracy Project’s goal is to foster collaborative and sustainable multi-stakeholder programs that convene, connect and share knowledge to build democratic resilience and protect democratic values.

OpenDemocracy.ca | @OpenDemocracyCA