Tech to defend and advance democracy

Dear friend,

It’s easy to look at the daily headlines and despair that a handful of tech giants seem to be shaping life on and offline, rather than the democratic systems that let us to have our say.

What the newspapers don’t tell you is that there are hundreds of organisations all around the world who, like us, are working tirelessly to find solutions that will help to defend and advance democracy.

Every year, we bring this global community together at TICTeC (our Impacts of Civic Technology Conference). Here, we work collaboratively to pave the way for a fair and safe future for all citizens - worldwide.

Your support helps us turn ideas into action, and continue our efforts to break down barriers to democratic participation.

Together we're driving change

The mySociety team has just returned from TICTeC 2025. Over two inspiring days in Mechelen, Belgium, 212 attendees, from over 37 countries, came together to discuss topics from citizen participation and deliberation to transparency and access to information; tech to tackle the climate emergency and harnessing AI for the good.

The energising talks and workshops gave us all something very important. We made new connections, were motivated and encouraged by projects in other countries, and learned how others overcome similar challenges.

Above all, we found hope.

Bringing oversight to AI

Across all discussions at TICTeC, we heard of the seismic changes that the emergence of AI is bringing to society, to tech and to democracy. It’s affecting how governments work, the way that data is handled, and the trustworthiness of information.

Things are moving fast, but don’t worry: we’re on top of it.

At mySociety, we believe that wherever AI is deployed, it must be used responsibly, transparently, and because it’s the best tool for the job. That’s what we discussed at TICTeC, with other organisations like ours from around the world, and that’s what we’ll be pressing for in the UK.

Help us go further

Thank you for making our work possible. Your ongoing support will enable us to:

• Ensure public authorities deploy AI with care and due diligence
• Reach everyone with trustworthy democratic information in an environment dominated by opaque algorithms and unreliable content
• Help people understand how the decisions that affect them are made and what technology is used to do so
• Work with under-served communities to build evidence for their advocacy and fill missing data gaps
• Demonstrate the value of truly open approaches

Together, we will create a more transparent, inclusive, and accountable politics.

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