iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

mySociety @mysociety.org · 25/09/2026

Reserved your spot for Monday's free webinar yet? If you have an interest in #FOI you won't want to miss Aiden Clarkson from the UK's @infocommission.bsky.social & Christian Anker from the Chilean Council for Transparency, both talking about the role of the regulator. pretix.eu/mysociety/3r...

Title: Delivering ATI in practice:

Subtitle: How regulators can help people use their Right To Information

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 24/09/2026

Don't forget to put 11-12 March into your calendars now - this is going to be so brilliant: two days exploring how digital tools can help make democratic systems more effective, inclusive and participatory. More details - and a call for proposals - coming soon! www.mysociety.org/2026/09/14/t...

TICTeC presents: Digital Democracy Edinburgh
Exploring practical technology to build democratic resilience
SAVE THE DATE 11-12 March 2027

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 24/09/2026

Does AI need more guardrails? That's the question mySociety's @itscrowbot.bsky.social will be addressing, along with panelmates James Wood of @hsfkramer.bsky.social and Emma Logan of @wearebcs.bsky.social. Catch the discussion online, on day 2 of PT Exchange: totalevents.uk/event/pt-exc...

PT Exchange Focus 29 - Oct-01 October 2026 12:00-13:45 daily , online

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 23/09/2026

The first of our webinars on global Access To Information is this Mon, 28 Sept at 16:00 UK time - International Right to Know Day! Aiden Clarkson from @infocommission.bsky.social and Christian Anker from Chile’s Council of Transparency will discuss what good regulatory support looks like.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 22/09/2026

Thanks, Redditors - this could be FixMyStreet's new strapline: "I keep meaning to do it but I didn't quite know how." www.reddit.com/r/edinburgh2... "It passes the problem along to the relevant council and department who deal with the problem you describe." Perfectly put - in a nutshell!

A Reddit thread:
u/TheInitialGod
•2d ago
"I keep meaning to do it but I didn't quite know how to"

Fixmystreet.com

It passes the problem along to the relevant council and department who deal with the problem you describe.

u/Fancy_Toe1451
• 2d ago
use the "Fix My Street" or "Write to Them" websites, they are free to use and the site does all the hard work of finding the right person for you.

https://www.fixmystreet.com/

https://www.writetothem.com/

u/Just-Plankton8990

•2d ago
When I used to live somewhere else (not Edinburgh) I had a problem that I kept reporting directly to the council. Basically there was a pothole right next to a drain, the pothole had become a big gravel pit and when it filled with rainwater and a car drive though it, it would splash gravel into the drain and block it, which then meant that the pothole was permanently full of water. It was a self reinforcing vicious circle and they really both needed fixing at the same time. I kept reporting this to the council, and they kept closing the case as "fixed" without even visiting or doing anything. I kept telling them it wasn't fixed and asking them to reopen the case and they refused. So their records showed that they had successfully fixed it multiple times, when in fact they'd just done nothing and lied about it. This went on for years, and eventually I reported it to one of those websites (I think it was fixmystreet) - within two weeks the pothole was filled in and the drain was cleared.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 21/09/2026

Is TheyWorkForYou, our 'what's going on in Parliament' website, helping you make change? If so, we'd love to hear all about it. Please head over to: forms.gle/27avC2jeKTke... to answer some very quick questions. Thank you!

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 15/09/2026

Today's the #InternationalDayOfDemocracy - so let us remind you that you can sign up for six emails showing you how to get the most from our online democracy tools: www.mysociety.org/the-mysociet... Even if you've been using our services for some time, we bet there'll be some new ideas for you!

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 15/09/2026

The first webinar is on 28 Sept, which is happily also International Right To Know Day! Register, for free, here: pretix.eu/mysociety/3r... #FOI #InternationalRightToKnowDay

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 15/09/2026

We're running a series of three free webinars on Access To Information globally - looking at how campaigners are defending #FOI in their countries, how people are building new Right To Information platforms, and the role of regulators. Sign up for one or more sessions here: pretix.eu/mysociety/3r...

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 14/09/2026

For now, just save the date & sign up for updates at tictec.mysociety.org/tictec-updat... - lots more to come about this global summit on how high-quality deliberative participation can be enhanced through digital tech, in democracies around the world. Hope to see you in Edinburgh! #TICTeC

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/09/2026

The closing date for this job is Tuesday, 15 September - so better get to it if you'd like to apply! Full details on the job, and how to apply, at: apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/... NO AGENCIES, THANKS.

We're looking for a collaborative, efficient, organised, resilient, kind, experienced, proactive User Support Officer at mySociety

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 08/09/2026

Did you get today's newsletter, all about the recent additions to TheyWorkForYou? There are lots! If not, you can read it here (and subscribe top left of that page): mailchi.mp/mysociety.or...

An MP stands to contribute to a debate in the House of Commons

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 07/09/2026

We got @alexparsons.bsky.social to describe all the improvements we've been making to TheyWorkForYou lately - and there are heaps! Want to know what they are? Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter before lunchtime tomorrow - you can do that here: eepurl.com/gOEVFj

An MP in a coral coloured dress, hand out, stands up to ask a question during Prime Ministers Question Time

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 02/09/2026

Missed our most recent newsletter? It was a good'un! But never fret, you can read it here: mailchi.mp/mysociety.or... (and subscribe top left of that page so you never miss another one!)

Text: Ready for our close-up

This isn’t the first time our sites have played a part in a TV campaign. In October 2023, we spoke to WhatDoTheyKnow user Eleanor Shaikh, who’d uncovered crucial evidence about the Post Office scandal.

In January ’24, the extent of the issue hit the public consciousness via TV series Mr Bates vs the Post Office. You can hear Eleanor explain how she used FOI in this ten minute podcast.

George Martin Empty Homes Spotter
And all the way back in 2011, we built the app for George Martin’s empty homes campaign, the Great British Property Scandal.

That programme is now off air, but you can read more about how we adapted our FixMyStreet codebase so people could report empty buildings in their area.

A pair of blue disposable medical gloves lie on top of a leaaflet marked 'Coronavirus stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives.
Trust the evidence

Photos: promo images from Mr Bates Vs the Post Office and George Martin's Empty Homes, plus an image of blue medical disposable gloves beside a leaflet about coronavirus.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 02/09/2026

Our newsletter goes out this lunch time, looking at the part #FOI played in two very different, but both vital, investigations: the toxic waste dumps in @mchshe.bsky.social's "Buried", and the Trust The Evidence project uncovering facts around the pandemic. Are you subscribed? eepurl.com/gOEVFj

Toxic waste barrels dumped in the overgrowth

A pair of blue, disposable medical gloves on top of a leaflet about coronavirus

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 25/08/2026

If you're organised, proactive, efficient, resilient, sensitive to nuance and have experience in providing excellent user support, come and join the mySociety team! Find more details and apply at apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/...

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

And this is just the start of a much longer project - one which will result in a new online scrutiny tool. To keep up with everything, make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter at eepurl.com/gOEVFj and check the 'Artifical Intelligence' box.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

That was a speedy recap of a more complex and nuanced conversation. You can read a more in-depth summary at mysociety.org/AI-scrutiny.

Read the whole conversation on our blog - mysociety.org/AI-scrutiny
and...

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

We have to come together to challenge patterns of harm, and negative impacts on individuals - with sector-wide collaboration to share knowledge, cases, challenges and successes.

So, what would we like to see?
4. We need practical ways to use that evidence to challenge individual decisions and wider patterns of harm.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

The existence of an evaluation does not necessarily mean that meaningful scrutiny has taken place. Tech suppliers may assess their own products using benchmarks that make little sense to the wider public. Civil society also has a role to play here in shaping these evaluations.

So, what would we like to see?
3. Evaluations should examine real-world outcomes...
...rather than relying on abstract benchmarks.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

The time for scrutiny is *before* a system is up and running, not after it has started having potentially unforeseen consequences!

So, what would we like to see?
2. We need information early enough for people to influence decisions... not after a system has been introduced

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

We need coherent, consistent data. The UK government’s Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard is widely seen as good practice, and could provide valuable information if used consistently, but we know that not every relevant system appears on the associated public hub.

So, what would we like to see?
1. Public bodies should report what systems they're developing and using... as structured data

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

It's exhausting keeping up with everything you need to do to keep authorities accountable - and that's where civil society needs to step in and help.

3. People should not need to become experts in every system affecting them in order to be protected. In our push for scrutiny, we must not transfer too much responsibility onto communities, especially those already vulnerable.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

This is a point worth considering - because all those 'little' or 'unofficial' uses of AI in the office may actually be affecting decision-making processes that have a real-life impact on service users.

2. Big procurements aren't the whole AI story - staff may be using generative AI for drafting, research, transcription or coding, without the public body having coherent oversight of this usage.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

Information on government use of AI is fragmented, if it exists at all - and there's no one single mechanism to gather data on this use.

1. Existing routes to transparency aren't enough. There's currently no way to build a comprehensive picture of which systems are being developed, trialled or used across government.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us to have this useful and important conversation! Read on to see what was discussed.

We brought together experts from academia, law, journalism, technology and public policy. Here's what they said >>>

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

...which systems are being deployed, where they are being used, how they are affecting people's lives, and who is accountable for the decisions they make.

- what AI systems are public bodies using?
- how are those systems actually affecting people?
And so...

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 11/08/2026

Government departments at every level are deploying AI systems - and we need to be able to ask the basic questions, like...

Government is rapidly deploying AI systems...and we think it should be easier to ask the basic questions, like...

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 06/08/2026

⏰️ Nagging feeling there's something you should be doing? Maybe there is! Applications close TOMORROW for our Service Manager vacancy: apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/...

Text: Digital service manager for user-facing operational support of mySociety's online services

Photo: Hands using a laptop, with translucent avatars of documents floating above the keyboard

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 05/08/2026

Lots of campaigns and causes send their supporters to WriteToThem, so they can contact their MP or other relevant politicians. Now we've made some improvements to this free service. www.mysociety.org/2026/07/29/i...

Running a campaign? There's an easy way to get your supporters to contact their MPs...and it's free.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 04/08/2026

In a challenging global environment, we're making a difference. To find out more, read our full impact report at www.mysociety.org/impact-repor...

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 03/08/2026

Have you been feeling these heatwaves? That may depend on how well your council is doing on adaptation & resilience to climate change - something you can find out on the Council Climate Action Scorecards. Isaac from @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social's here to tell you more.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 03/08/2026

It can be hard to know which of your elected representatives to contact, especially where you have more than one council, or perhaps live in an area with a devolved parliament. Improvements to WriteToThem make it easier to get your message to the right place: www.mysociety.org/2026/07/29/i...

Need to contact a politician...but which one? WriteToThem helps you get your message to the right place.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 03/08/2026

If you've been using AI to make #FOI requests, stop - and read this. @infocommission.bsky.social has some important advice which will benefit both you, and the authority you're requesting from. www.mysociety.org/2026/07/21/n... #FreedomOfInformation

Using AI to write FOI requests? Stop - and read this!

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

But of course, numbers are just numbers. It's the people and organisations behind them, and the changes they've brought about, that really count. And you can see much more about that in our impact report :) www.mysociety.org/impact-repor...

Text: But numbers aren't everything! Discover the people and projects behind these figures in our 2025-6 impact report.
Splash: Available now
Image: the cover of the report, with a purple title and a photo of mySociety team members on it.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

And totting up all the actions across all our various websites and services, that's more than 39 million encounters with democracy. Some big, some small, all valuable.

Overall, our services have enabled 39 million encounters with democracy this year - many from deprived areas of the UK.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

More than three quarters of UK councils are using the Climate Action scorecards — which we make in collaboration with @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social — to inform the action they're taking to decarbonise.

Thanks to the Climate Scorecards, 76% of councils are making data-based decisions on how to tackle the climate emergency.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

People have reported more than 550K potholes, blocked drains, broken streetlights, inaccessible rights of way, fly tips — and much much more — to the right authorities to get them sorted, thanks to FixMyStreet.

Through FixMyStreet, 577,258 local neighbourhood issues have been reported and fixed this year.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

The other stat we didn't have room for in this slide is that more than 10,000 of these messages were sent from people in the most deprived areas of the UK.

80,015 emails have been sent to representatives via WriteToThem: 43% of users were writing to a politician for the first time.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

You know you can subscribe (for free) to any word or phrase on TheyWorkForYou, and we'll send you an email when it's discussed in parliament, don't you? Well 82,204 of you do. The rest of you can set one up at www.theyworkforyou.com/alert/.

Through TheyWorkForYou alerts, 82,204 of you have kept up with the issues you care about this year.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

For this figure, we're counting the number of organisations, community groups and campaigns (that we know about!) who use our data, learn from our workshops or share knowledge at our events.

Our data, software & outreach have equipped 3,000+ organisations to fight for democracy & transparency across the globe.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 31/07/2026

154,496 is the number of successful FOI requests made on WhatDoTheyKnow this year, bringing previously hidden information into the open.

Using our FOI site WhatDoTheyKnow, this year you've helped bring 154,496 previously hidden government documents to light.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 28/07/2026

Read our impact report at www.mysociety.org/impact-repor... for lots more positivity and hope.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 28/07/2026

Alex, Alice, Gemma, Julia & Zarino present mySociety's 2025-6 impact report. If you're feeling down about the state of democracy, you'll be glad to know that there's a lot to be hopeful about!

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 27/07/2026

Ever wondered what effect our work has, who uses our services or how we connect with other organisations around the world? Sit back and enjoy a little dose of optimism and positivity with our annual impact report. www.mysociety.org/impact-repor...

A composite image showing the mySociety team, and activities from our TICTeC conference, in hexagons emerging from a copy of the impact report.

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 13/07/2026

We asked, and you told us! What's OK when it comes to MPs receiving gifts? Take a look through the headline results here, or see the finer details at mailchi.mp/mysociety.or.... And then pop over to whofundsthem.com to discover everything we're doing around money in politics. #whofundsthem

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 08/07/2026

WE'RE HIRING! Data protection, media law, online communities, and FOI: if that sounds like your jam, you might be just the person we're looking for as mySociety's new Digital Service Manager. See the details and apply here: apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/... And please do share!

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 06/07/2026

Gifts to MPs are in the news...again. It's something we've been thinking about a lot, thanks to our WhoFundsThem project. But what do YOU think about the gifts & donations MPs receive? Wrestle with some of the nuances in our survey: us9.list-manage.com/survey?u=53d...

A bottle of wine ready and chilled in an office environment

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 06/07/2026

Even if you're not making an #FOI request, our website WhatDoTheyKnow.com can still be extremely helpful, as @mrosenbaum.bsky.social points out here. For more insights into using the Freedom of Information Act, listen to all the FOI Fest sessions on our podcast at www.mysociety.org/podcasts/mys....

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mySociety @mysociety.org · 01/07/2026

Can you make an #FOI request via social media? @mrosenbaum.bsky.social answers an audience question at #FOIFest - and for more Q&A insights, you can listen to the entire session on our podcast, at www.mysociety.org/podcast/foi-... #FreedomofInformation

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