Call for Contributions: Democratic Accountability in the Shadow of US Tech Power—How Should Canada and Australia Respond?

Submissions will be considered on a rolling basis.

Over the past decade, technology policy has moved from a secondary concern to the frontlines of global geopolitics. This shift has been dramatically accelerated by the Trump Administration’s tariff and industrial policy, which has redefined US tech companies as a strategic asset of national power. Fresh off recent elections, governments in Canada and Australia will have to navigate this new geopolitical environment, while trying to preserve democratic accountability.

From AI governance to online safety, these democracies must now determine how to build governance and public-interest frameworks capable of addressing the most harmful impacts of tech, while fostering innovation and economic growth, even as the Trump Administration aggressively opposes policies by foreign governments that implicate US tech companies.

This special series from Tech Policy Press invites scholars, policymakers, journalists, and civil society voices from both countries to contribute critical reflections on the future of democratic tech governance in Canada and Australia. Our aim is to foster an in-depth and critical discussion of how governments in both countries can develop coherent, accountable tech policies that respond to national imperatives and global realities.

We welcome original submissions that explore the following themes and topics:

Setting the Tech Policy Agenda

• What should be the priorities for Canada’s and Australia’s new governments in the next phase of tech governance?
• How can national digital strategies address both domestic risks and US tech dependencies and influence?
• What institutional reforms are needed to assert democratic authority over tech platforms—whether through new regulatory bodies, digital rights frameworks, or public-interest technology initiatives.

Tech Influence and Regulatory Capture

• What mechanisms allow tech corporations and billionaires to shape—or derail—policy formation in each country?
• Where have governments attempted to assert authority, and what factors led to success or failure?

Building Democratic Capacity

• How can democratic institutions be strengthened to meaningfully regulate AI, algorithmic systems, surveillance, and platform governance?
• What role should public consultations or participatory policy models play?
• How do political lobbying, philanthropy, and litigation by tech companies affect democratic processes and regulatory decision-making?

Towards Sovereign and Accountable Tech

• What new legislative or international mechanisms could reduce dependence on large tech platforms?
• Are public or cooperative alternatives to dominant platforms feasible or desirable in national contexts?

We encourage submissions that offer critical analysis, comparative perspectives, and forward-looking proposals grounded in legal, policy, and technological expertise.

How to Submit?

Interested contributors should send a draft of 1000 to 2000 words. We prefer all drafts to be sent as Google documents wherever possible. Please review our full contribution guidelines.

Drafts should also include biographical details of all authors and disclosure of any conflicts of interest.

All submissions should be sent to contributions@techpolicy.press.