Digital Democracy: All in this together?

Part 1 of NEW collaboration between Cambridge University, CETC, CW,CN: The move towards digital technology for personal communication, policy making and public services is accelerating. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic we are all in this together now - or are we? Prof John Naughton (CRASSH) and Sally West (Age UK) will illustrate some of the political, economic and social power asymmetries and barriers to inclusion that have already sprung up with increasing digitisation of our lives.

This event will be run as a Zoom Meeting, with Q& A and breakout rooms, without recordings. Attendance is free.

Please register your interest on Zoom; this will help us with running the virtual event.

Your sign-up details are collected for the purpose of the webinar only and will not be made available by either the CETC or the University hosting initiatives to third parties, in accordance with GDPR principles. You will receive a joining link and password specific to you automatically after registration.

The Meetings are planned as a way to help you connect with other people who share your same interest in the digital world, so just bring a glass of any drink you like and enjoy an informative as well as refreshing digital happy hour. The series is supported by three local technology networks:

Cambridge Wireless, Cambridge Network and Cambridge Enterprise & Technology Club

SPEAKERS’ PROFILES

PROF JOHN NAUGHTON

John Naughton is a Senior Research Fellow at CRASSH, Emeritus Professor of the Public Understanding of Technology at the Open University, Director of the Press Fellowship Programme at Wolfson College and a Guardian columnist. By background a systems engineer, he is an historian of the Internet whose main research interests lie in the network's impact on society. He has published widely on Big Tech, governance of digital technology and digital inclusion.

SALLY WEST

As policy manager at Age UK Sally advocates on behalf of older people in the UK. The charity aims to influence decision makers through conducting social and economic analysis, developing public policy proposals and shaping policy agendas in a wide range of areas. This includes mitigating the risk of disenfranchisement to older UK residents as a result of increasing digital-by-default.