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/RSS FeedImagine a world where every citizen automatically receives the government grants they’re entitled to, stays informed about public consultations, and can easily contribute feedback—feedback that they trust will genuinely shape policy decisions. Services like these could strengthen and transform democracies worldwide.
But, should this be the reality we ought to seek? What are the opportunities and challenges? And how close are we to achieving this?
At this TICTeC gathering, we heard from two insightful speakers:
- Richard Gevers, Head of Service Design and Delivery at the Digital Services Unit of The Presidency South Africa.
- Sanna-Kaisa Saloranta, Specialist in the Democratic Innovations programme at Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund.
Sign up for our newsletter to be informed about future events, and find out more about TICTeC at tictec.mysociety.org. Appreciate mySociety’s work? Please do donate!
Transcript:
[00:04] Louise Crow: Welcome everyone. I’m Louise Crow. I’m Chief Executive of mySociety. Thank you so much for joining us today for this TICTeC community gathering: ‘From digital public infrastructure to democratic public infrastructure’.
[00:20] Just as a brief reminder, TICTeC stands for The Impacts of Civic Technology. TICTeC started life as a conference, but since 2020 we’ve been running year round activities to try and connect people building using and researching technology to strengthen democracy and civic power, with the aim of helping us learn from each other and boost our collective impact.
[00:44] So ahead of the global DPI summit next week, we thought this was a good time to talk about civic tech’s relationship to digital public infrastructure. What are we talking about when we say digital public infrastructure? (more…)
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mySociety was founded on one seismic technological change: the arrival of the internet, bringing radical new possibilities to the ways in which we engage with democracy.
Now we’re seeing a second upheaval, just as potentially explosive: the wide adoption of generative AI and machine learning tools — particular kinds of artificial intelligence — not least by the UK government, who have made a commitment to see AI “mainlined into the veins of the nation”.
From the visible and novel, like ‘AI bot’ MPs; to the hidden and less-interrogated, like the algorithms that drive decision-making around benefits; to the new capabilities around working with large text datasets that we ourselves are experimenting with at mySociety: artificial intelligence is changing the way democracy works.
We’ve been thinking about AI for some time, as have our colleagues around the world — TICTeC 2025 had a strong strand of pro-democracy organisations showcasing how they are using new technologies to hold authorities to account and support public engagement; alongside developers showing the tools that aim to make the government more responsive.
AI is coming to democracy, whether we like it or not. In many places, it’s already here.
But there are implementations in which it can be highly beneficial to us all; and ways in which it can present a clear and present danger to democracy.
It benefits everyone if there is a high level of understanding of both the challenges and the opportunities of AI in government. Democratic decision makers need to understand digital tech in order to legislate effectively around it, to develop and procure it effectively.
This is not just so that they can deliver services more efficiently, but also to ensure that they retain the legitimacy of democratic government by using tech and AI in a way that ensures transparency and accountability, preserves public trust and allows the public to understand and participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
Reflections for our time
Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing our own thoughts and experience — alongside invited guest writers who are thinking about how AI interacts with democratic processes and institutions, and how to make that better — in a series of short pieces.
These will examine the different ways that AI is affecting the things we care about here at mySociety:
- Transparent, informed, responsive democratic institutions
- Politicians and public servants who work for the public interest
- Democratic equality for citizens: equal access to information, representation and voice
- A flourishing civil society ecosystem
- The effective and principled use of digital technologies
- Action from politicians to match the evidence of the climate crisis and the level of public concern
- Better communication between politicians and the public, creating space for climate action.
Stay informed
If you’d like to get updates in your inbox, make sure you’ve checked ‘artificial intelligence’ as an interest on our newsletter sign-up form (if you already receive our newsletters, don’t worry – so long as you use the same email address, this will just update your preferences. Just make sure you’ve ticked everything you’re interested in).
By also completing the ‘how do you identify yourself’ section, you’ll help us send you the most relevant material: that means guidance if you work in government or build tech; data and our analysis if you’re a researcher; tools for holding authorities to account if you are an individual or work in civil society, and so on.
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Image: Adi Goldstein
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Note:
This is the audio version of an online event, in which a couple of the speakers refer to visual elements. If you’d like to see the websites, etc, that they mention, please see the video of the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvJVCgBprwY.
Details:
Across the world, there are many websites and apps that help citizens to better understand how their democracies work, and what their elected representatives are doing on their behalf.
Historically, one of the main ways these tools could measure their impact was by tracking their visitor numbers and page views via website analytics tools.
However, across the world, civic and pro-democracy tech projects are finding that citizens can’t, or no longer, directly visit their websites and apps. They’re either restricted by data packages that only allow them to use social media sites, or are finding out information via AI chatbots or social media, rather than directly visiting sites and apps.
This shift can make it harder than ever to measure the reach and impact of pro-democracy projects and tools. Traditional website analytics no longer tell the full story, leaving some projects struggling to demonstrate their effectiveness—and, as a result, to secure the funding needed to sustain vital democratic services.
At this TICTeC gathering, we hear directly from practitioners running civic and pro-democracy tech initiatives from across the world. They share the strategies they’re using to reach people where they are, ensure their services remain accessible and relevant, and find new ways to track impact in this changing digital landscape.
Ana Arevadze from ForSet in Georgia talks about their work with social media influencers to inform and educate Georgian youth on voting and democratic information.
Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh from Enough is Enough Nigeria shares how they have leveraged social media, chatbots, and messaging services through their ShineYourEye platform to provide citizens with accurate democratic information and improve access to elected representatives.
Joseph Tahinduka from ParliamentWatch Uganda speaks about working with infomediaries such as local radio and journalists to get parliamentary information to a wider audience, as well as their usage of social media and messaging apps.
More information
This is a TICTEC Communities of Practice session. Find out more about TICTeC at https://tictec.mysociety.org/.
Sign up for TICTeC updates at https://tictec.mysociety.org/events/ or subscribe to updates about all mySoicety activities by telling us what you’re interested in at http://eepurl.com/gOEVFj.
Transcript
Alex Parsons 0:01
Hi everyone. I’m Alex Parsons.Alex Parsons 0:02
I’m the Democracy Lead and senior researcher at mySociety. Thank you for joining us here for this TICTeC community gathering. (more…) -
The keynote speakers set the tone for TICTeC each year, kicking off the conference with a timely provocation that seeds ideas through the sessions that follow, and informs new channels of discussion.
Our first keynote announcement for TICTeC 2025 is Fernanda Campagnucci, Executive Director of InternetLab, who brings unparalleled expertise in transparency, digital transformation, and civic engagement. Fernanda will explore what is made possible by new forms of technology — especially in the anti-corruption space — and what needs to happen to make those possibilities a reality.
With TICTeC’s emphasis on pro-democracy technology this year, Fernanda’s knowledge and experience is sure to spark two days of informed insights.
Fernanda’s diverse career spans a number of roles — and continents — but has been guided by a commitment to reshaping public governance and leveraging technology for positive change.
From 2019-24 she was Executive Director of Open Knowledge Brasil, enhancing its impact on public policy. Prior to this she was a public manager at Sao Paulo City Hall, championing policies centered on transparency, digital transformation, and civic technologies, fundamentally reshaping the way government interacts with its citizens.
Her role as the Head of Integrity at the Comptroller General’s Office further deepened her understanding of ethical governance; and at the Department of Education, she led the flagship Open Government Initiative ‘Patio Digital’.
Meanwhile, Fernanda’s academic achievements have complemented her practical experience, with a first degree in Journalism followed by a Masters in Education and a PhD in Public Administration: she’s also acted as a lecturer on Compliance and Public Innovation.
All of these roles will inform Fernanda’s keynote, so we hope you’ll be in the room — or joining us via Zoom — when she steps up to the podium. Here’s where to reserve your place (and if you act before March 3, you’ll pay earlybird pricing).
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Every year at TICTeC, we strive to find keynote speakers that can speak directly to the present moment for the civic tech field.
At a time when tech and democracy are becoming ever more entwined, we’re delighted that Marietje Schaake will be kicking off the first day of proceedings at TICTeC.
Marietje is a former Member of the European Parliament, a Fellow at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center and the Institute for Human-Centered AI, a columnist for the Financial Times and author of The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley — one of the ‘top ten tech books’ of 2024.
Marietje will explore the delicate balance of our age, between the good that tech can do for democracy, and the dangers of letting self-interested tech giants dominate the field. It serves us to examine how authoritarian regimes are using tech, and to ask, can democracies reclaim sovereignty and stand up for the interests of citizens? Do we require more oversight and regulation in both tech and democracy, and if so, how can this be built to allow other kinds of tech to flourish?
The spirit of the ‘civic internet’ is what brought our community together: TICTeC is one place where principles of openness, democracy and engagement still burn brightly. Marietje’s keynote will help us consider the underlying questions around the future for the civic tech field, both for the immediate tomorrow, and for the longterm outlook.
This will be a keynote you don’t want to miss, so be sure to secure your place at TICTeC — in person or online. Book here: tickets remain at earlybird prices until March 3.
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Image: Sicherheitskonferenz (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
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/RSS FeedIt’s our first ever podcast at mySociety! Heeey how about that?
Myf, our Communications Manager, runs you through all the stuff we’ve been doing at mySociety over the last month. It’s amazing what we manage to fit into just 30 days: you’ll hear about a meeting of Freedom of Information practitioners from around Europe; our new (and evolving) policy on the use of AI; a chat with someone who used the Climate Scorecards tool to springboard into further climate action… oh, and there’s just the small matter of the General Election here in the UK, which involved some crafty tweaking behind the scenes of our sites TheyWorkForYou and WriteToThem.
Links
- TICTeC videos on YouTube
- TICTeC photos on Flickr
- Browse the TICTeC 2024 schedule, find slides etc
- Matthew’s post on updating TheyWorkForYou on election night
- Sign up to get an email whenever your MP speaks or votes
- Democracy resources and our future plans in Alex’s post
- Local Intelligence Hub lets you access and play with data around your constituency
- Matt Stempeck’s summary of the Access to Information meetup
- Our summary of Matt’s summary of the meetup
- Updates from all those ATI projects around Europe
- New in Alaveteli: importing & presenting blog posts; request categories and exploring csvs in Datasette
- Fiona Dyer on how volunteering for Scorecards upped her climate action
- Where to sign up if you fancy volunteering as well
- mySociety’s approach to AI
- Contact us on hello [at] mysociety.org if you have any questions or feedback.
Music: Chafftop by Blue Dot Sessions.
Transcript
0:00
Well, hello and welcome to mySociety’s monthly round-up.
My name is Myf Nixon, Communications Manager at mySociety.
0:11
This is part of an experiment that we’re currently running where we’re trying to talk about our work in new formats, to see if that makes it easier for you to keep up with our news. (more…)
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Yes, it’s that marvellous time for the Civic Tech community: the full TICTeC schedule is now online and you can browse it to your heart’s content, picking which sessions you’ll attend — not always an easy decision when there’s so much to choose from!
As usual, TICTeC promises access to civic tech around the world with insights you won’t get elsewhere, presented by a truly amazing roster of international speakers. This year we have a focus on threats to democracy and climate, and the tools that are working to counter them.
You’ll find grassroots NGOs, making a difference through their on-the-ground technology; representatives of governments; tech giants; and of course the academic researchers that make sense of everything we do in the civic tech world.
- Hear from Mevan Babakar, News and Information Credibility Lead at Google;
- Learn how tech has shaped citizen-government communication from the Taiwan Ministry of Digital Affairs;
- See what happens when you wake up and realise your civic tech project is now critical national infrastructure, with Alex Blandford of the University of Oxford
These are just a few of the 60+ sessions from an international range of perspectives that you can dip into across TICTeC’s two days. Which will you choose?
Come along in person, or tune in from home
This year, most of TICTeC’s sessions will be livestreamed, so you can tune in no matter where you are (the workshops won’t be broadcast, as they don’t lend themselves to online participation). If you’d like to attend virtually, you can book a ticket via Eventbrite for just £50.
Or, if you’d prefer to join the conference in person, enjoying all that a real-life meet-up entails, with sessions interspersed with networking, nibbles, and socialising, make sure you snap up one of the limited slots. But hurry – TICTeC always sells out, and this year is looking like no exception.
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What if you could reshape democracy for the better – and you had twenty years to do so?
That’s the question our panel will be tackling at our #Democracy2043 event, part of the Festival of Debate – and we’ll be asking for your thoughts and ideas, too. Join us in person in Sheffield, or online on May 24. Either way, you can book your free tickets now.
We’ve assembled a panel of really insightful speakers, each of whom will bring a new angle to the question of what we want a better, fairer, more vibrant democracy to look like, and what we need to put in place to get there by 2043.
- Dr Kim Foale, Founder & Studio Lead, Geeks For Social Change
- Emma Geen, Interim Manager, Bristol Disability Equality Forum
- Joy Green, Systemic Futurist
- Immy Kaur, Co-founder and Director, CIVIC SQUARE
- and mySociety’s own Chief Executive Louise Crow
Why are we looking forward twenty years? Well, this is mySociety’s 20th anniversary, and we’re using the opportunity not just to look back on what we’ve done, but to understand what part we must play in the future. The world looks very different now than it did at our beginnings in 2003, and undoubtedly there are seismic societal changes to come.
This event is one part of our ‘futures’ process, helping us to ensure that the services we provide are still relevant and that we can work together to help shape the kind of democracy in which everyone can thrive. We hope you’ll join us and help tackle these complex, but compelling questions.
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Our sixth TICTeC Labs surgery has enabled the creation of a new open source tool for Nigeria and beyond: the Election Violence Tracker (EVT).
The TICTeC subgrant allowed PolicyLab Africa to launch this project, an open-source reporting tool that enables citizens to document and report violent incidents during Nigeria’s elections. The idea is to empower people to independently create, confirm, and track violent incidents in real time during the election season — and more importantly, provide a lasting data resource for journalists, election observers, activists and civil society.
As discovered during the initial TICTeC surgery, the global civic tech community often faces challenges from working in hostile environments. These range from government resistance to operating in conflict and post-conflict societies. After that initial discussion focused on ways in which organisations can thrive in challenging contexts, the subsequent Action Lab agreed to commission a piece of work which repurposed existing software to benefit civic tech organisations working in hostile environments.EVT uses the Independent Electoral Commission’s polling unit location data to track and map locations of electoral violence in Nigeria; and OpenStreetMap to geolocate each polling unit address and enable user identification to verify report locations. Reports, which can include photos or videos, are visualised on a map and the data collected is openly available for download and export.
The tool has already seen use. During the Nigerian elections on 25 February, 59 cases of violence were reported via the EVT. The tool will be deployed again for the State and Governorship elections in March. PolicyLab Africa plan to continue to make improvements and hope to expand deployment to other countries to make more data available on electoral violence across Africa.
All code and documentation is open and available on the PolicyLab Africa GitHub repository for other organisations to use and adapt.
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As of this year, mySociety has been working for a better democracy for 20 years.
mySociety was formed in 2003 to explore the ways in which the internet could help people to discover, discuss and participate directly in politics, and whether it could empower them to make changes in society and to the political process itself.
Over the last 20 years, this amazing community of designers, coders, volunteers, partners and funders has created and run digital services that have served millions people each year in the UK and around the world; campaigned for transparent, responsive institutions fit for the 21st century; and supported the incredible persistence, dedication and commitment of people who want to understand and participate in decisions that affect their lives and communities.
Through the power of open source software, mySociety’s technical work has gone on to deliver services around the world, and our international outreach and TICTeC programme has brought together a community of people dedicated to the principled use of technology to improve civic life.
The ideas that the organisation was founded on have spread too: mySociety’s principles and approach inspired a culture of user centred design in the use of the web to deliver government services, with the creation of the Government Digital Service and the Parliamentary Digital Service — input that is still benefitting millions of people as they get something done or find information on government websites every day.
The constants
A lot has changed since 2003, but some things haven’t changed. Let’s start with our conviction that the quality of our democratic and political life matters deeply, and that digital services can and should be used to improve it.
In an era of misinformation and mistrust, extending the reach of clear and impartial information about the workings of our democracy is vital. As we face the climate crisis, the decisions we have to make as societies need to be open to participation from all kinds of people, not just the well-connected and well-resourced. Our institutions need to evolve to meet the demands of the moment, find new ways of listening to those they represent, and show that they’re worthy of the trust we place in them.
The big questions of how we will live together through the transitions of the next decades, the questions that politics and democracy ultimately decide, are those that deserve the very best tools and data – made with the people who need them to be beautifully simple, tested and improved, and run responsibly.
The other thing that hasn’t changed is that it takes a lot of commitment to build services that help people at scale – from hugely dedicated and expert staff and volunteers who have given up a significant portion of their lives to making mySociety work, to the thousands of people who’ve responded to one of our calls to do a small task, like gathering a single piece of information.
Throughout the year, we’ll be inviting you to join us in recognising those contributions, reflecting on what’s worked, what’s changed, and looking to the future, and what we’ll need to do to rise to the challenges ahead. Please stay with us as we go through what promises to be a fascinating process.
We're committed to this work — but your support is also much needed as we start to shape our future. Please consider contributing, if you can.Donate now
