iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

New article from Marika Jeziorek & me in which we propose the concept of 'humanitarian femtech' to explain how reproductive tech mobilizes claims to care, privacy, and empowerment while remaining shaped by unequal systems of digital governance. We examine 4 period-tracking apps.

Image shows screenshot of the article title, authors and abstract.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Glad to see this important article out on the US pressures Canada faces on policymaking on digital issues. Thanks @journodale.bsky.social! What's Canada's plan as the US tech firms (especially Musk) continue to interfere in our elections? Where's the urgency to regulate AI or for govt to leave X?

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

4 What does the Carney government‘s inability to withstand pressure over a few panels at a conference tell us about its willingness to actually regulate US tech companies, or to pursue “digital sovereignty”? Does Mark Carney’s digital sovereignty include predatory and monopolistic US corporations?

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keep your electric eye on me @ubisurv.net · 07/10/2026

@globalaffairs.canada.ca - can you tell us why you pulled support from this important academic #disinformation conference at the last minute? Despite high profile gestures of solidarity with the #EU, it seem pressure from the #USA still scares you.

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Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

"Canada has therefore breached its obligations as a state party to the Rome Statute by allowing Netanyahu to enter Canadian airspace en route to the United States." - Ardi Imseis in this excellent piece by Evan Dyer CBC: www.cbc.ca/news/politic... #ICC #cdnpoli

cbc.ca

ANALYSIS | Netanyahu is flying freely over Canada as his international arrest warrant remains in place | CBC News

A review of two years of flights by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows that the Israeli leader is once again routinely taking a more direct path — through Canadian airspace — when travell...

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This is the kind of nuanced analysis of how not all types of private investment are good for Canada should have happened beforehand, as part of a Royal Commission. My worry is that what Prof. Indart identifies as a bug — a lack of attention to these differences — is to Carney a feature.

thestar.com

Canada is open for business, but Carney's investment pitch glosses over a crucial difference

Prime Minister Mark Carney's Toronto summit pitch attracted global attention, writes Gustavo Indart, but not all foreign, private investments are created equally.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

instead of trying to salvage dying ideologies (represented here by the Investment Canada Act), Canada needs new approaches for a new world. We need a national conversation about where Canada is, where it should be going, and how we should get there. The longer we delay, the greater the cost.

policyoptions.irpp.org

Open letter to the next prime minister: We need a royal commission on Canada’s future

(Version française disponible ici) Sign up for A Stronger Canada for The Trump Era. A temporary newsletter with the latest Canada-U.S. analyses from Policy Options. There is no longer any room for dou...

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FrameToFrameNature @frametoframenature.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"At a time when British Columbia Premier David Eby is championing buying Canadian, BC Ferries may be preparing to enter a multi-year agreement to buy fuel from an American-owned company" Why not #BuyCanadian Eby? #BoycottUSA #BCElection thetyee.ca/News/2026/10...

thetyee.ca

BC Ferries Heads to $1.3-Billion Deal with US-Owned Fuel Supplier | The Tyee

Despite Eby’s ‘buy Canadian’ focus, a firm with MAGA connections is the likely contract winner.

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blair @blairaf.com · 01/10/2026

The operational backbone of Canadian government & academia exists on Microsoft Google AWS infrastructure but instead of a serious conversation about building foundations for public interest digital infra we are much more fixated on the hot shiny AI toys

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

“New legislation around AI chatbots in Canada was introduced in June, but it focuses on increasing safety requirements to protect children online, not consumer rights.” Canada needs to get serious about digital regulation.

cbc.ca

Overnight, Meta deleted all her accounts. AI customer service won’t let her reach a human | CBC News

Toronto resident Jasmine Ault says Meta disabled her accounts overnight, without giving her a reason, and that she's been unable to get past their AI chatbots to speak to a human to resolve the error....

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

A successful regulatory strategy would recognize these companies as bad actors whose business model almost compels them to act against the public interest, as in this story. They require hard, punitive regulations and enforcement, as @ntusikov.bsky.social and I explain here.

policyoptions.irpp.org

Canada can’t regulate Big Tech by trusting Big Tech

Bill C-34 puts too much faith in Big Tech. Canada should regulate the algorithms, data practices and business models that drive online harm.

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Ecojustice @ecojusticecanada.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Great news! 🎉 Following the federal government’s attempt to stop the youth and NGO-led climate accountability case from proceeding, the court has sided with litigants, finding no legal or factual basis to throw out the case. Onward. Support youth climate litigants now ecojustice.ca/take-action/...

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Anyway, @ntusikov.bsky.social and I wrote the book on it. Click on “Online Access“ for the free OA copy. Start with Chapter 5: Ideology, Dataism and the New Experts. www.bloomsbury.com/ca/new-knowl...

bloomsbury.com

The New Knowledge

From the global geopolitical arena to the smart city, control over knowledge-particularly over data and intellectual property-has become a key battleground for…

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

AI note-taking apps are not ready for prime time and, as @ntusikov.bsky.social argues here, the response from Canadian regulators has been severely lacking. Both the doctors who use it and the companies that supply it should be wholly liable for any and all errors it produces.

cigionline.org

Canada’s AI Strategy for Health Care Won't Work without Oversight to Match

Before AI can deliver on its health-care promise, Canada needs to close the gap between adoption and regulation.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

New from me: Canadian doctors are rushing to adopt AI medical scribes, but there are serious problems with accuracy, bias, transcription error, & reliance on industry data. Many scribes aren't regulated, leaving doctors to figure out risks like privacy & bias. www.cigionline.org/articles/can...

cigionline.org

Canada’s AI Strategy for Health Care Won't Work without Oversight to Match

Before AI can deliver on its health-care promise, Canada needs to close the gap between adoption and regulation.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Yup. The reason @ntusikov.bsky.social and I are comfortable saying that people *will* (not may, will) be harmed and die from the Carney government’s AI strategy is because it’s already happened. The goal is to get us to accept these deaths and ruined lives as the price of progress.

policyoptions.irpp.org

Carney’s AI push risks harm as Ottawa automates public services

From immigration errors to social-assistance breakdowns, early use of automated systems shows how public services can fail without human judgment.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

New from me (paywall): Voluntary agreements lack transparency, efficacy & serve corporate interests. Canadians are making clear their strong opposition to AI data centres: the federal govt is abdicating its governance role in hiding behind a voluntary framework. www.hilltimes.com/2026/09/09/w...

hilltimes.com

Why Canada’s new voluntary framework for AI data centres won’t work - The Hill Times

Voluntary principles, as outlined in the government’s national framework for AI, have no legally binding force. They typically lack efficacy and transparency, even as governments and tech companies of...

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Agreed! And I didn't take you for a crank. ;)

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I agree that these apps raise a lot of questions! And serious concerns.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This is part of a broader project examining period-tracking apps & apps licensed as medical devices. We're looking for app users, health professionals, & those in the app industry for their experiences & perspectives. Please contact me for more info.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Finally, approval shouldn't be the end of oversight. Health Canada now has more power to ask for additional info. More data on real-world performance & how the app works w/ people w/ sleep/medical conditions, & performance across diff. ages, cycle patterns, & amongst racialized groups.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Ordinary users can confuse product categories. The Natural Cycles app is a licensed medical device. Others like Flo are not licensed. Marketing & product info appears similar. We recommend Health Canada use plain-language summaries to explain what was approved & what this means.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Health Canada classifies Natural Cycles as a "moderate risk," w/ some scholars saying this significantly under-estimates the risks accompanied unintended pregnancy. This is the same classification category as contact lenses.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Such BBT apps are less effective that hormonal contraceptives. They require consistent & accurate use, & normal stress, sleep disruptions, illness, & medical conditions can affect body temperature & thus how the app interprets data, meaning info from the app can be unreliable.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

New from Marika Jeziorek & me: Canada's approval of Natural Cycles as a contraceptive app raises serious questions about apps licensed as "medical devices." We argue health regulators need to make it clearer what is actually licensed & real-world performance. policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/09/birt...

policyoptions.irpp.org

Natural Cycles birth-control app needs stronger Health Canada oversight

Canada’s licensed birth-control app needs clearer oversight, real-world monitoring and stronger safeguards for sensitive reproductive data.

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Dale Smith @journodale.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This is what Carney's new Digital Transformation Canada should be doing, not trying to find new ways to implement digital asbestos.

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Jörg Broschek 🇨🇦 @jbroschek.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

An evident threat for Canadian sovereignty. Yet, didn't make it on the list of 7 government priorities, as outlined in the mandate letter under the heading: "The Context: A Generational Challenge" www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/scien...

theglobeandmail.com

Ottawa issues comprehensive climate report that reflects country’s physical transformation

From retreating glaciers to wildfires and marine heat waves, climate change will likely become even more pronounced, assessment finds

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I'd go farther. This report should be accompanied by a meeting -- call it a Summit -- of global leaders, led by a PM using his unprecedented global political capital to address the most pressing crisis ever, one that directly threatens Canadians. Instead, we're getting a sales conference.

nationalobserver.com

Carney government accused of burying climate report warning of worsening impacts

The report, which analyzes the impacts of climate change in Canada, was posted to a government website with no fanfare on Thursday evening ahead of the Labour Day long weekend.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

@ntusikov.bsky.social and I wrote this oped about social media regulation, but its main point stands here. Regulatory theory tells us that voluntary agreements don't work with bad actors. The companies listed above are some of the least trustworthy of the past several decades. This is just empty PR.

policyoptions.irpp.org

Canada can’t regulate Big Tech by trusting Big Tech

Bill C-34 puts too much faith in Big Tech. Canada should regulate the algorithms, data practices and business models that drive online harm.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Non-binding 'expectations'? Solomon & Carney are not serious about governing data centres in Canada; they're offside w/ the large & growing anti-data centre public sentiment. These companies won't comply w/ voluntary 'rules.' They have lied about energy & water use. This is weak & shameful.

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Calgary Climate Hub @calgaryclimatehub.ca · 02/09/2026

"Given how quickly #MarkCarney killed our #AntiGreenwashing laws it's doubtful we'll see any #Renewables -friendly data centre LEGISLATION & ENFORCEMENT on his watch absent real pressure from the Canadian people. His inner circle trumpet #DataCentres as a brand new lucrative market for #NaturalGas."

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

“But these problems can’t be regulated away.“ Yes, they can. In fact, bad behaviour and Canadian overreliance on US tech platforms can *only* be dealt with effectively through government regulation, *not* leaving it up to individuals to try to wean themselves off of these de facto monopolies.

thestar.com

Justin Ling: It’s time Canada logged out of tech platforms owned by Donald Trump toadies

If our institutions acted, they could hasten the ongoing exodus from services peddled by allies of the Trump administration.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Anyway, both @ntusikov.bsky.social and I are happy to talk with any reporters or government officials who would like to discuss how to deal with these problems.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

In reality, Canada still faces the Sidewalk Labs problem, since US tech is embedded in all parts of government and society, from Microsoft office products to governments’ continued insistence on using X to make announcements. Unlike Europe, they”re doing nothing to change this. From Jan:

theconversation.com

Microsoft’s AI deal promises Canada digital sovereignty, but is that a pledge it can keep?

As the U.S. government becomes increasingly authoritarian and issues threats to other countries, can Canadians trust U.S. tech companies with their data?

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

And just imagine the crisis Toronto, Ontario, and Canada would be facing if Waterfront Toronto’s deal with Google’s Sidewalk Labs had gone ahead: a neighbourhood effectively controlled by a company under Trump’s thumb. From 2019. theconversation.com/sidewalk-lab...

theconversation.com

Sidewalk Labs proposals put the fox in charge of the henhouse

Regulating Sidewalk Labs proposed developments poses new challenges for assigning responsibility and oversight.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

And as late as 2021, when we published this edited volume, “digital sovereignty” was treated by most digital activists and many, many Internet governance scholars as tantamount to totalitarianism. Open access. www.routledge.com/Power-and-Au...

routledge.com

Power and Authority in Internet Governance: Return of the State?

Power and Authority in Internet Governance investigates the hotly contested role of the state in today's digital society. The book asks: Is the state

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

A quick reading list. Natasha literally wrote the book on how the US and other powerful states get companies to do what they want in the absence of actual laws, in 2016. www.ucpress.edu/books/chokep...

ucpress.edu

Chokepoints by Natasha Tusikov - Paper

Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

This is a good example of what @ntusikov.bsky.social and I have been warning about for years: US tech companies are uniquely susceptible to extra-legal US government pressure (Google isn’t compelled to change Lake Ontario’s name.) Because of this, they represent a direct threat to Canadian autonomy.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Carlo Dade: “Canada walked into the stadium without studying the game film of the opponent.” Harsh take on Canada's negotiating strategy, which led to a panicked final week that anyone who's been paying attention for the past 18 months should have seen coming and prepared for.

thewalrus.ca

Seven Experts on How Canada Survives Trump’s Trade War | The Walrus

The country faces a punishing economic and political fight with no easy end

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Dr. Tanya Lentz, R.Psych. @pednpsy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The world leaders writing strongly worded letters to Israel has achieved nothing other than more harm to Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese. Scolding a country for genocide is merely an act to appear you are doing something. Stop sending Israel supplies and weapons. @mark-carney.bsky.social

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

My new co-edited volume! Thanks to terrific co-editors @bhaggart.bsky.social & @k8henne.bsky.social! See my chapter for how IoT makers exert control over device ownership, lifespan & use, including with trains & jets. These issues have national security & sovereignty angles w/ an authoritarian US.

Image shows book cover, entitled Information, Technology and Control in a Changing World: Understanding Power Structures in the 21st Century published by Palgrave Macmillan. Top of the cover is orange with the bottom have showing puzzle pieces on a flat surface.

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Is it really the position of the Carney government that Canadian voters are not entitled to know what Carney thought he had a mandate to negotiate away, and what he thought was a fair deal from Trump, a man who can’t be trusted to keep his word?

thestar.com

Canadians can’t see the rejected U.S. trade deal. Here’s why

Pierre Poilievre has called on the government to "release the proposed text" so that Canadians can see the American demands that prompted the breakdown in negotiations.

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Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Australia dismayed by Trump administration's vow to 'dismantle' International Criminal Court "Dismayed" is a bit weak compared to others who have condemned the Trump regime's actions, but it's heaps better that Canada's full-on silence. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08... #ICC

abc.net.au

Australian officials warn of 'destructive' US move to 'dismantle' ICC

There are real concerns within the Australian government about what US President Donald Trump is doing in regards to sanctioning the International Criminal Court, government sources tell the ABC.

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Natasha Tusikov @ntusikov.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Stoked this terrific edition is finally out! For those wanting a copy of my chapter on the Internet of Things examining changes to how we understand ownership & control (including right to repair) contact me. I discuss trains, fighter jets, & medical devices!

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Blayne Haggart @bhaggart.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Carney was ready to sign a deal with someone who can’t be trusted. He was prepared to pay for the illusion of certainty. This broke down over price.

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Nick Tsergas @nicktsergas.ca · 21/08/2026

According to a Senate of Canada brief, for every gallon of water used to cool US datacentres, 12.4 gallons were used to cool those datacentres’ power plants. Closed-loop can sleight-of-hand water usage away from the datacentres to the power plants. @its.small.patatas.ca @cdnaffairs.bsky.social

canadianaffairs.news

Op-Ed: AI data centres face waves of municipal resistance — for good reason

Responsible municipalities are taking the time to develop guardrails before saying 'yes' to AI data centres

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Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

France *condemns* all forms of threats and coercive measures against the ICC. Spain *deplores* new sanctions from Trump administration. Germany *reaffirms* its support for the ICC. The Netherlands *stands firmly behind the ICC*. Canada: 🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗 cc: @anitaoakvilleeast.bsky.social

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Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Absolutely right 👇 The IDF's decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of World Central Kitchen staff, including a Canadian is *unacceptable*. So, now what? Canada can step in. It has the laws and abilities to open its own criminal investigation. Do it.

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