Digital Democracy

Disinformation. Conspiracy theories. Extremism. Surveillance. Our democracy is threatened as never before by toxic online content. The social media giants seem unable, or in some cases unwilling, to control the flood of lies and manipulative practices. The staggering — often hidden — reach of Big Tech into our lives endangers civil society, our civil rights, and our privacy. In a "post-truth" world we risk losing the shared understanding that underpins our democracy. 

Each month, we explore a different facet of this crisis with guest experts. Join us to learn, discuss, and work on possible solutions. 

Upcoming Webinars:

More events coming soon!

Past Webinars:

Apr 29, 2025
The Future of Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age
By: LWVME
With Courtney C. Radsch, Ph. D, who is Director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty at the Open Markets Institute where she produces and oversees cutting-edge research into the political economy of AI, news media market structures and information power.
Mar 25, 2025
Rescuing Democracy from the Tech Bros
By: LWVME
Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Pulitzer-prize winning historian. Her newest book, Autocracy, Inc., published in 2024, gives an alarming account of how autocracies work together to undermine the democratic world, and how we should organize to defeat them.
Jan 29, 2025
The Media Revolution
By: LWVME
Michael Tomasky is the editor of The New Republic and the author of five books, including his latest and cHeadshot of Michael Tomaskyritically acclaimed The Middle Out: The Rise of Progressive Economics and a Return to Shared Prosperity.
Nov 20, 2024
How Technology Will Dictate Our Civic Future
By: LWVME
With Professor Latanya Sweeney, who is Professor of the Practice of Government and Technology at the Harvard Kennedy School and in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
Sep 26, 2024
The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley
By: LWVME
with Marietje Schaake, international policy director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center and international policy fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
Aug 27, 2024
If you make it trend, you make it true
By: LWVME
With Renee DiResta, author of the new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality (If you make it trend, you make it true.)
Jun 25, 2024
Democracy Will Not Be Intimidated
By: LWVME
With Gowri Ramachandran from the Brennan Center of Justice
May 28, 2024
Fighting Back on Election Interference
By: LWVME
With Liz Tentarelli, President, LWVNH; Courtney Hostetler, Legal Director for Free Speech for People; and Celina Stewart, Senior Director of Advocacy and Litigation at LWVUS.
Apr 23, 2024
Tackling Misinformation by Preempting It
By: LWVME
With Beth Goldberg, Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs
Feb 27, 2024
Defending Democracy in the Digital Age
By: LWVME
With Kat Duffy, a senior fellow for digital and cyberspace policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Jan 17, 2024
What's Next in AI Regulation?
By: LWVME
With Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, the director of the Center for Technology Innovation and serves as Co-Editor-In-Chief of the TechTank blog and podcast at the Brookings Institution
Nov 20, 2023
Techlash
By: LWVME
With former FCC Chair, Tom Wheeler, who'll be talking about his new book, Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age.

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