Brock students, staff and faculty, as well as members of the public, are invited to attend a free public event examining several of the most pressing issues in digital governance. As big tech companies and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to dominate the headlines, scholars from around the Golden Horseshoe will discuss digital policy, privacy, practice and more during an upcoming virtual symposium.
The third annual Digital Regulation in the Public Interest symposium takes place virtually on Friday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All are welcome to attend the free, public event.
Associate Professor of Political Science Blayne Haggart will moderate panels throughout the day along with co-organizer Associate Professor Natasha Tusikov of York University.
“This symposium is a great opportunity to hear from established and emerging scholars on the cutting-edge of digital policy issues,” says Haggart. “With each iteration of this symposium, which first ran in 2023, the issues under discussion by the experts sharing their research take on new dimensions — and fresh urgency.”
The features four panels throughout the day:
- Privacy, Data Governance and Digital Rights — Includes talks on youth privacy, body-worn cameras, technology-facilitated sexual violence and digital life for individuals with disabilities.
- Digital Standard Setting — Addresses topics ranging from state-funded video games and military tech platform dependency to digital elections and global social media governance.
- Governing and Protecting Bodies — Features presentations on how algorithms influence migration policy and health care, including dementia and reproductive care.
- Possible Futures — Covers an array of future-looking topics such as Canadian AI policy and global AI governance, how digital futures are shaped, and a vision for a Canadian Digital Sovereignty Observatory.
A detailed timeline featuring paper titles is available online.
Presenters from Brock University include Associate Professors Karen Louise Smith in the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film, Alisa Grigorovich in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Nicole Goodman and Stefan Dolgert in the Department of Political Science.
Brock graduate student presenters include Child and Youth Studies PhD students Rebekah Gold and Lulu Larcenciel as well as Mackenzie Rockbrune from the master’s in Social Justice and Equity Studies program.
Additional presenters will join the virtual symposium from Ontario Tech University, the Balsillie School of International Affairs at Waterloo University, Royal Military College, Wilfrid Laurier University, McMaster University and the University of Toronto.
Anyone interested in listening in should register online to obtain a link to the virtual event, which is part of the ongoing Social Sciences Symposium Series.
