Events

Organising public seminars, debates, and discussions was a core output of WebRoots Democracy. The aim was to educate attendees on our research and to educate ourselves about key topics related to technology and democracy. During our six and a half years of existence, we organised 40 public events. You can read about these below and, for many of them, access links to recordings or write-ups.

WebRoots Democracy Festival

Monday 16th November – Friday 20th November 2020, Zoom

WebRoots Democracy Festival was an online festival of talks, debates, and discussions examining pressing matters related to technology and democracy. It was held between 16-20 November 2020 and marked the close of WebRoots Democracy after 6 and a half years.

All of the discussions are available to watch on our website here. If you would prefer to listen back to them as a podcast, they are available on Spotify (and will be made available on other podcast providers) here.

Deepfakes and Democracy: In conversation with Nina Schick

Wednesday 9th September 2020, Zoom

The rise of deepfakes (convincingly faked videos created using artificial intelligence) poses a significant challenge for democracies across the world. They can be used to intimidate activists, undermine elections, and cast doubt over genuine footage. Broadcaster and author, Nina Schick, spoke with WebRoots Democracy director, Areeq Chowdhury, about her new book ‘Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse’. During this discussion, they delved deep into the technology and considered the potential impacts they may have for democracy, as well as society more widely.

Read more about the event and watch the full recording here.

Technology and its role in racialised surveillance

Wednesday 22nd July 2020, Zoom

Taking examples from the UK, EU, and Australia, this joint event with The Portal Collective explored the implications of new surveillance technologies for migrants and people of colour. In particular, it looked at the ways in which these technologies risk perpetuating racist outcomes in society. Chaired by Yassmin Abdel-Magied (The Portal Collective), speakers included Sarah Chander (European Digital Rights), Gracie Mae Bradley (Liberty), Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran, and Dr Angela Martinez Dy (Loughborough University London).

Read more about the event and watch the full recording here.

Inside the Virtual Parliament

Thursday 21st May 2020, Zoom

This was an event exploring the UK Houses of Parliament’s experience with the so-called ‘Virtual Parliament’ which they adopted in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers at the event included Abena Oppong-Asare MP (Labour Party), Hannah Bardell MP (Scottish National Party), Naz Shah MP (Labour Party), Matt Stutely (Director of Software Engineering, Parliamentary Digital Service) and Nikola Spicer (Head of Software Delivery, Parliamentary Digital Service).

Read more about the event and watch the full recording here.

In conversation with Angela Rayner MP

Sunday 3rd May 2020, Zoom

WebRoots Democracy director, Areeq Chowdhury, was in conversation with the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner MP. This was an event with the Concordia Forum and touched upon a broad range of issues.

Read more about the event and watch the full recording here.

Cratos Principles: Lunch & Learn Webinar

Tuesday 31st March 2020, Jitsi

This was an online webinar marking the launch of WebRoots Democracy’s ‘Cratos Principles’, a report setting out a framework for assessing the accessibility, security, and user experience of online voting platforms for use in elections. The webinar was led by Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy) and had participants from several countries across the world.

Learn more about the Cratos Principles here.

Disinformation and the 2019 UK General Election

Tuesday 21st January 2020, Houses of Parliament

This was a panel discussion exploring the types of online ‘disinformation’ experienced during the 2019 UK General Election. Joining the panel was Darren Jones MP (Labour Party), Yassmin Abdel-Magied (writer and broadcaster), Carl Miller (Centre for the Analysis of Social Media), Charlotte Jee (MIT Technology Review), and Andrew Lewis (Nuffield Centre for Experimental Social Sciences).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Screening of Knock Down the House + Q&A with Amy Vilela

Wednesday 12th June 2019, Newspeak House

This was a screening of the Netflix documentary, Knock Down the House – the story of four women taking on American politics. It was followed by a Q&A session with Amy Vilela, one of the four women featured in the film.

This was a joint event with Unicef’s Next Generation London, and was hosted by the BBC journalist, Catrin Nye.

The People’s Mayor: In conversation with Magid Magid

Tuesday 9th April 2019, Newspeak House.

Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy) interviewed Magid Magid, the unconventional Lord Mayor of Sheffield, about doing politics differently, his journey to date, and his future plans.

Since becoming Lord Mayor of Sheffield in 2018, Magid ‘Magic’ Magid has taken the political scene by storm, making headlines in the UK and across the world. A former child refugee, Magid is Sheffield City Council’s first Green Party mayor and its youngest at 29.

Misinformation and the Muslim Population

Friday 30th November 2018, House of Commons.

This was a workshop organised in conjunction with the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation which explored the role of social media, identity, and leadership in the rise of Islamophobia across the UK. The event brought together a mixture of influencers and leading young, British Muslims.

The conversations will feed into a report by the OIC into Islamophobia across Europe.

A People’s Vote: Upholding Democracy or Undermining It?

Monday 26th November 2018, House of Commons.

This event explored the democratic case for holding a “People’s Vote” or another referendum on EU membership. Chaired by the BBC’s Catrin Nye, speakers included Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy). Ella Whelan (Spiked), Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson (For our Future’s Sake), and Cathleen Clarke (Our Future, Our Choice).

There is no write-up available for this event.

Are we more polarised than ever before?

Tuesday 23rd October 2018, Newspeak House.

This event explored the science and evidence behind political polarisation online. Speakers at the event included Alice Thwaite (Echo Chamber Club), Rula Awad (machine learning expert), and Kris De Meyer (King’s College London).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Kinder, Gentler Politics: Report Launch

Tuesday 16th October 2018, House of Commons.

This was the launch in Parliament of our report ‘Kinder, Gentler Politics: Tackling the rise of online abuse in political debate.’

Chaired by Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy), speakers included Chloe Smith MP (Minister for the Constitution); Rushanara Ali MP (Labour Party); Luke Graham MP (Conservative Party); Lord Bird MBE (Crossbench Peer); Lily Madigan (transgender activist); and Khadija Said (WebRoots Democracy).

Download and read the Kinder, Gentler Politics report here.

Power in the Digital Age: In conversation with Carl Miller

Tuesday 14th August 2018, TechHub London.

This was an “in conversation” event with tech author, Carl Miller, about his debut book “The Death of the Gods: The New Global Power Grab.”

You can order Carl’s book here.

Vote.Scot: Shaping the future of online voting in Scotland

Tuesday 19th June 2018, The Scottish Parliament.

This was an expert panel event exploring the challenges of piloting online voting for elections in Scotland.

Chaired by Ruth Maguire MSP, the panelists were Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy); Liz Ure (Scottish Government); Simon Hearn (Electoral Reform Services); Mike Summers (Smartmatic); and John Abbott (Yoti).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Is it possible to have a kinder, gentler politics?

Wednesday 13th June 2018, TechHub London.

Our fourth anniversary event looked at the rise of online abuse in political debate.

Speaking at the event were Naz Shah MP (Labour Party), Amelia Womack (Deputy Leader, Green Party), and Adam Langleben (Jewish Labour Movement).

Find out more about the Kinder, Gentler Politics project here.

Online Voting: Lessons from Australia’s iVote project.

Tuesday 8th May 2018, House of Commons.

This was an afternoon seminar learning about Australia’s experience with remote online voting with New South Wales’ iVote project.

Speaking at the event were Dr David Galindo who helped design the 2015 iVote system, and Ian Brightwell, the former Chief Information Officer of the New South Wales Electoral Commission.

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Cambridge Analytica and the future of social media

Tuesday 24th April 2018, Newspeak House.

This was an evening seminar focusing on the potential of UK Government regulation of social media platforms in light of the Cambridge Analytica files, dark political advertising, fake news, and the rise in online abuse.

Panelists included Seyi Akiwowo (Founder, Glitch!UK), Darren Jones MP (Science and Technology Select Committee), Carl Miller (Research Director, Centre for the Analysis of Social Media), and Henna Zamurd-Butt (CEO and Editor of Media Diversified).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Intersectional Suffrage: A focus on the women that didn’t get the vote

Tuesday 20th February 2018, House of Commons.

This was an evening seminar focusing on the women that were still denied the vote in 1918 and explored current voting behaviour and political representation across class, gender, and ethnic divides in 2018.

The event was chaired by Fahmida Rahman (WebRoots Democracy) and panelists included Dawn Butler MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities); Cllr Abena Oppong-Asare (London Borough of Bexley); Rachael Gibbons (Working Class Heroes, RECLAIM Project); and Neema Begum (PhD Researcher in Ethnicity and Voting Behaviour, University of Bristol).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Did Russia hack the referendum?

Monday 22nd January 2018, Newspeak House.

This was an evening seminar examining the strength behind the allegations that Russia attempted to interfere online with the 2016 EU referendum and with Western democracies more generally.

Speakers included Alexander J. Martin (Technology Reporter, Sky News) and Dr Gianluca Stringhini (Senior Lecturer in Security and Crime Science, University College London).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Blockchain and its applications for democracy

Wednesday 6th December 2017, Newspeak House.

This was an evening seminar exploring how blockchain technology works and how it can be applied for democratic purposes.

Speakers included Dr David Galindo (University of Birmingham); Dr Sarah Meiklejohn (UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies); Dr Bingsheng Zhang (Lancaster University); and Hanane Boujemi (UN Internet Rights and Principles Coalition).

A write-up of the event can be read here.

Cost of Voting: Report Launch

Monday 6th November 2017, House of Commons.

This was a panel discussion exploring the findings of WebRoots Democracy’s Cost of Voting report published in November 2017.

The event was chaired by Anna Wallace, Director of Relations at PwC, and the panelists included Darren Jones MP (Labour Party); Dr Toby James (University of East Anglia); Mike Summers (Smartmatic); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Read a write-up of the event here.

Inclusive Voting: Panel Discussion

Wednesday 12th July 2017, House of Commons.

This was a panel discussion exploring the findings of WebRoots Democracy’s Inclusive Voting report published in June 2017.

The event was chaired by Rachel Fielden of WebRoots Democracy, and the panelists included Cat Smith MP (Labour Party); Baroness Sal Brinton (Liberal Democrats); Jonathan Bartley (Green Party); Sian Roberts (Electoral Reform Services); Ashar Smith (Creative Opportunities); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Read a write-up of the event here.

take back ctrl: digital democracy, post-brexit

Tuesday 23rd May 2017, Newspeak House.

This was WebRoots Democracy’s 3rd anniversary event, which focused on the future of digital democracy following the vote to leave the European Union.

Keynote speakers at the event were Douglas Carswell (former UKIP MP and co-founder of Vote Leave); Ed Dowding (Represent); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Speeches from the event can be found on our YouTube channel here.

Democracy 2.0: Hitting refresh on the Digital Democracy Commission

Thursday 26th January 2017, House of Commons.

This was a panel discussion event exploring the findings of WebRoots Democracy’s Democracy 2.0 report and focused on the challenges for digital democracy since the Speaker’s Commission in 2015.

The event was chaired by Oliver Sidorczuk of WebRoots Democracy, and panelists included Hannah Bardell MP (Scottish National Party); Carl Miller (Centre for the Analysis of Social Media); Emma Mulqueeny OBE (Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Read a write-up of the event here.

Introducing the ‘Institute for Digital Democracy’

Wednesday 12th October 2016, House of Commons.

This was the re-launch event of WebRoots Democracy as a think tank focused on the intersection of technology and democratic participation.

The event was chaired by Joe Carton of WebRoots Democracy, and speakers included Matt Warman MP (Conservatives); Tom Brake MP (Liberal Democrats); Katherine Sladden (change.org); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Back to our WebRoots: How can #onlinevoting reinvigorate democracy?

Wednesday 25th May 2016, Google Campus London.

This was WebRoots Democracy’s 2nd anniversary event, which focused on the potential of online voting to boost democratic participation in the UK.

Keynote speakers at the event were Antonia Bance (Trades Union Congress); Ruksana Khanum (Royal London Society of the Blind); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Speeches from the event can be found on our YouTube channel here.

Secure Voting: Report Launch

Tuesday 26th January 2016, House of Commons.

This was a panel discussion exploring the findings of WebRoots Democracy’s Secure Voting report published in January 2016.

The event was chaired by Areeq Chowdhury of WebRoots Democracy, and panelists included Graham Allen MP (Labour, and Chair of the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee); Chloe Smith MP (Conservatives); Oliver Sidorczuk (Bite the Ballot); and Mete Coban (MyLifeMySay).

Beyond 39%: Tackling low voter turnout in London Mayoral Elections

Monday 6th July 2015, House of Commons.

This was WebRoots Democracy’s 1st anniversary event, which focused on the low levels of participation in London Mayoral Elections.

The event was chaired by Areeq Chowdhury of WebRoots Democracy, and panelists included David Lammy MP (Labour); Cllr Sian Berry (Green Party); Peter Kellner (YouGov); Mita Desai (British Youth Council); Ralph Scott (Demos); and Kenny Imafidon (Political commentator).

Viral Voting: Report Launch

Tuesday 3rd March 2015, House of Commons.

This was a panel discussion exploring the findings of WebRoots Democracy’s Viral Voting report published in March 2015.

Speakers at the event included Chloe Smith MP (Conservatives); Jonathan Birdwell (Demos); and Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy).

Swipe Right to Vote: Can #onlinevoting future-proof elections?

Monday 17th November 2014, House of Commons.

This panel discussion was part of Parliament Week 2014, and focused on the potential of online voting for the UK.

The event was chaired by Areeq Chowdhury of WebRoots Democracy, and panelists included Chloe Smith MP (Conservatives); Amy Lamé (Broadcaster); Mike Summers (Smartmatic); Rachel Stroud (vInspired); and Mita Desai (British Youth Council).

A recording of this event can be viewed on our YouTube channel here.