Democracy is an ongoing public discussion about what is legitimate in our society — and what is not. That conversation doesn’t belong to any one group, and it cannot be settled once and for all. Democracy prospers when everyone has the right and opportunity to be informed and to participate in public discourse.
Every two weeks, the Centre for Free Expression Podcast explores important questions people have about our society, their rights to be engaged, their opportunities to be informed, the challenges to these rights and opportunities, and how we can overcome those challenges.
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Smartglasses: How they are undermining privacy and what we can do about it
AI-enabled smart glasses raise serious concerns about privacy and surveillance at school, at work, in public spaces, and in the public sector. These include surreptitious photos and recording and sharing of captured videos. Join our panel of experts from the SSHRC-sponsored Rethinking Consent project to discuss the threats presented by AI glasses and how society can respond to the problems of the proliferation of captured data, the discriminatory impact on marginalized groups, and corporate accountability.
Co-sponsored with The Rethinking Consent Project
The Rethinking Consent project is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Panelists: Jane Bailey, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Jacquelyn Burkell, Professor, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, Dominique Kelly, Postdoctoral Associate, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, Danica Pawlick-Potts, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Media Studies, York University. Moderator: Brenda McPhail, Senior Technology and Privacy Advisor, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
20 Oct 2026
Is Cabinet Secrecy an ever-expanding black hole hiding information that properly should be public?
Canada’s Access to Information Act’s protection for cabinet secrecy is among the broadest in the world. Has that protection gone too far — denying public access to documents that Canadians should have a right to see? Join Yan Campagnolo, Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa, and Vincent Kazmierski, Associate Professor in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, in a discussion with eminent Canadian journalist Dean Beeby about their paper, which suggests Canada’s law may be unconstitutional.
7 Oct 2026
Police Surveillance and AI: Protecting Privacy in Canada
As surveillance technologies expand, the fundamental right to privacy is under unprecedented threat. In this episode, Canadian scholars Alana Saulnier and Evan Light examine the growing footprint of police surveillance across the country. Focusing on automated license plate readers, artificial intelligence, and biometric tools, they explore how mass data collection and AI-enhanced monitoring impact civil liberties, discriminatory law enforcement, and Canadian democracy.
29 Sept 2026
How Much Justice Is There in Canada’s Extradition Process?
Almost everyone sought for extradition from Canada is extradited. Is this a sign of efficiency or of injustice? Join a panel of leading experts on Canadian extradition law and practices who discuss what actually happens when a person in Canada is sought by another country.
Panelists: Donald Bayne (Distinguished criminal defence lawyer and counsel for Hassan Diab), Julianna Greenspan (Senior partner at Greenspan Partners with extensive experience in extradition matters), Joanna Harrington (Eldon Foote Chair in International Business and Law, and Vice Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta)
Moderator: Robert Currie (Viscount Bennett Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University)
22 Sept 2026
Why is public trust of media so low and how can it be regained?
Popular trust is the media has been declining fairly consistently over the past decade. In her new book, The Trust Spiral: Why the Media Needs Objectivity, Canadian journalist and podcaster, Tara Henley, explains why. Join her in a conversation with veteran Canadian Press journalist Jim Bronskill about this vital issue for our democracy.
8 Sept 2026
The Problem of Anti-Racist Discourse in Canada & US
In 'Visitor: My Life in Canada,' Anthony Stewart explores the lack of a recognizable Black anti-racist discourse in Canada and why Canada's lack of expression and commitment to Black anti-racism led him to give up his full professorship at Dalhousie University to move to a small college in the USA.
Join Anthony in conversation with Vershawn Young, Professor of Communication Arts and English, University of Waterloo, and author of 'Your Average Nigga: Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity.' Anthony unpacks the differences in the discourses of anti-racism in Canada and USA and the differential effects of those discourses both on himself, as a Black man, and on Black peoples in both countries.
This conversation occurred on Oct 5, 2021 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, Milton Public Library, Thunder Bay Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.
25 Aug 2026
Protecting Whistleblowers in the Private Sector: Lessons from Elsewhere
Whistleblower protection is an essential tool for stopping fraud and wrongdoing in the private sector, as well as the public. While Canadian corporations in some sectors have admirable policies and practices, there is much we can learn from law, policies, and practices elsewhere.
Join a panel of global private sector whistleblowing experts who will examine best international law and practices that could serve as models for Canada.
Panelists:• Elizabeth Gardiner, Joint CEO of Protect – the UK’s leading organization whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.• Christian Hauser, Professor at FHGR University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland who has conducted significant research into private sector WB issues over many years • Anna Myers, Executive Director, Whistleblowing International Network composed of whistleblower protection organizations from around the world.
Moderator:• Sandy Boucher, leads investigations and cybersecurity practices for Doane Grant Thornton LLP and is a Senior Fellow, Centre for Free Expression
11 Aug 2026
Why does medicine shoot the messenger when things go wrong?
Wrongdoing in medicine is all too common, with punishment typically reserved for those who speak up about it, writes leading American bioethicist, Carl Elliott, in his new book, The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No. Join Carl in conversation with Nancy Olivieri, eminent Canadian physician, medical researcher, and whistleblower as they describe the troubling reluctance in medicine to act in the interests of their patients and the public and explore what can be done about it.This conversation occurred on May 15, 2024 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.
28 Jul 2026
Censoring Books in Schools and Libraries: What does it mean for our future?
In his new book, On Book Banning, Ira Wells begins with his astonishment when the principal in his children’s school wanted to get rid of “all the old books” as being too Eurocentric, too male, too heteronormative. While understanding these concerns, he felt the solution was wrong. In his engaging exploration of censorship and the common goals of censors of all persuasions, Wells looks at the consequences for human development, for art, and for democracy. Join Ira in conversation with Centre for Free Expression Director James L. Turk, at this time when censorship is becoming popular and pervasive.
This conversation occurred on Feb. 26, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, PEN Canada, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.
14 Jul 2026
How Can We Protect Canadians’ Privacy in Our Digital World?
New corporate technologies for mass surveillance and gathering personal data endanger personal privacy as never before. AI can analyze vast amounts of data, making it easier to identify patterns, infer personal characteristics, and exploit information in ways that were previously impossible or prohibitively expensive. The federal government’s answer is a highly controversial new bill [C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act]. Is it the answer to the problem or will it make matters worse? Does it provide the greater privacy protection Canadians need and deserve?
CFE asked two of Canada’s leading privacy experts to discuss what is needed to protect Canadians privacy, how the new legislation measures up, and what should be done now.
Tamir Israel is Director of the Privacy, Surveillance, and Technology Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Teresa Scassa is the Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law and a 2024 winner of the Piccaso Award celebrating privacy leadership around the world.
29 Jun 2026
Can Canadians' Rights Survive The Notwithstanding Clause
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms made Canada a constitutional democracy in which unelected courts, not elected legislatures, have the final say about rights and freedoms. Yet Section 33 (the Notwithstanding Clause) was built in to let governments override the courts on certain matters. That clause has been contentious ever since – never more than now when it is increasingly being invoked to deny key democratic freedoms and human rights. Tune in to panel of leading legal experts to explore what’s a stake, what options are possible, and what they would mean for the future of Canada’s democracy.
Panelists: Eric Adams (Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta),Anaïs Bussières McNicoll (Director, Fundamental Freedom Program, Canadian Civil Liberties Association), Richard Moon (Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor)
Moderator: James L. Turk (Director, Centre for Free Expression)
This conversation occurred on December 10, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Centre for Constitutional Studies and PEN Canada.
15 Jun 2026
Online Age Verification Poses Serious Dangers: What are our alternatives?
Governments are increasingly requiring age verification for access to certain online content. In the name of protecting children online, systems for age verification create dangerous new forms of surveillance, censorship, and exclusion. Every system requires users to hand over sensitive personal information linking their offline identity to their online activity — valuable data easily leaked, hacked, or misused.
Join Evan Light in his conversation with David Greene, Senior Counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, about the dangers and what should be done.
This conversation occurred on Feb. 10, 2026 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, PEN Canada, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.
2 Jun 2026
"We can't teach a book with that word in it": Reflections on the role of literature in society
When prominent Canadian novelist Lawrence Hill learned his award-winning The Book of Negroes had been banned from classrooms by the London District Catholic School Board because of its use of the N-word, he was deeply troubled.
Join Lawrence Hill in his conversation with author and McGill University Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies, Debra Thompson, exploring censorship and the role of literature in society.
This conversation occurred on Feb. 5, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, PEN Canada, The Writers’ Union of Canada, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.
19 May 2026
What does the Western media get wrong about the Middle East?
In striving for balance and neutrality, does the Western mainstream media end up spreading misconceptions, myths and mistruths about the wars and conflicts in the Middle East? What are news consumers in the West missing about the war in Gaza, the turmoil in Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere? How can we ensure better coverage of the raging conflicts that are shaping our world today?
Panelists: Hadeel Al-Shalchi (Editor, NPR’s Weekend Edition), Mohamad Bazzi (Director, Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University), Martin Lukacs (Managing Editor, The Breach), Ari Paul (Journalist, FAIR.org)
Moderator: Julian Sher (Journalist, author & CFE Senior Fellow)
This conversation occurred on October 16, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Canadian Association of Journalists and PEN Canada.
13 May 2026
Islamophobia on Canadian Campuses: Why and What to do?
Islamophobia, like other forms of religious prejudice, racism and xenophobia, are everyday experiences on Canadian campuses despite efforts to eliminate it. Why does Islamophobia persist? What forms does it most commonly take on campus? What can be done to overcome it? Join a panel deeply engaged in eliminating Islamophobia as they explore these questions.
Panelists: Imam Yasin Dwyer (Executive Director, Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto), Adel Iskandar (Associate Professor of Global Communication, School of Communication and Director, Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, at Simon Fraser University), Maryam Laoufi (Advisor, Muslim Student Association at Concordia University), Basmah Ramadan (Student Advocacy Coordinator, National Council of Canadian Muslims; former President of the University of Toronto Muslim Students Association). Moderator: Amira Elghawaby (Canada’s former Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia)
This conversation took place on May 5, 2026, and was co-sponsored by BCCLA, Muslim Employee Community Network, and PEN Canada.
6 May 2026
Can American Media Survive Trump and Billionaire Owners?
The gutting of the Washington Post. Abrupt changes at CBS. Caving to extravagant but frivolous Trump lawsuits. Are some of the richest and most powerful corporate tycoons ruining American journalism — and will more takeovers make things even worse? Is democracy dying in broad daylight? Three frontline journalists look at the dangers and what lies ahead.
Panelists: Joe Davidson, Veteran former Washington Post columnist, Margaret Sullivan, Columnist for The Guardian US, Max Tani, New York-based journalist covering media for Semafor. Moderator: Julian Sher, Journalist and author. Senior Fellow, Centre for Free ExpressionThis conversation took place on March 19, 2026, and was co-sponsored by Canadian Association of Journalists, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, PEN Canada, and World Press Freedom Canada.
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