The DemocracyXChange (DXC), Canada’s democracy summit, is pleased to announce that acclaimed author, activist and journalist Cory Doctorow is opening the seventh annual summit, taking place from April 16 to 18, 2026, in Toronto.
The three-day summit, which aims to connect, celebrate and equip people who are taking action to strengthen democracy, is co-presented by OCAD University, The Open Democracy Project and the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University.
On April 16, Doctorow will deliver his keynote, Disenshittification Nation, exploring how Canada can turn the upheaval of US/Canada relations over the past year into a strategic opportunity to rebuild its tech sector, strengthen digital sovereignty and position itself as a global technology leader. He will outline how Canada can revitalize its innovation landscape, redirect wealth away from entrenched US monopolies and assert policymaking autonomy.
As a leading voice on platform monopolies, technological power and the degradation of digital systems—an arc he has popularly termed enshittification—Doctorow will connect the future of Canada’s technology sector to the broader civic questions at the heart of DXC26’s theme, Side by Side: Building an economy that serves democracy. His ideas frame technology not simply as an economic driver, but as a critical pillar of democratic resilience, civic trust and shared prosperity.
Doctorow’s talk will launch three days of summit programming focused on securing economic sovereignty, expanding opportunity and reimagining prosperity as the shared foundation of a thriving democratic society.
DXC26 will gather leaders and changemakers from public institutions, media, labour, Indigenous governance, technology, academia, business and more.
ABOUT CORY DOCTOROW
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist and journalist whose work examines the intersections of technology, markets and democratic accountability. He is the author of dozens of books, including Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, Picks and Shovels, The Bezzle, Walkaway, The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation, Chokepoint Capitalism and the bestselling Little Brother series. He was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2020.
ABOUT DXC CO-PRESENTERS
OCAD University (OCAD U), located in downtown Toronto, is Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university. It is a world-famous hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity. Students benefit from hands-on practice-based learning and have access to state-of-the-art shops and studios for both traditional and digital creation. Alongside a diverse and supportive team of instructors and peers, students gain employable skills. Graduates work in different sectors such as urban planning, environmental design, gaming, film, animation, publishing, illustration, graphic design, visual arts and arts administration.
The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University is a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy to build shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada.
The Open Democracy Project is working to strengthen and evolve the practice of democracy in Canada through contributing to the growth of Canada’s democracy sector. It is a not-for-profit incorporated in Canada and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Open Democracy Project’s goal is to foster collaborative and sustainable multi-stakeholder programs that convene, connect and share knowledge to build democratic resilience and protect democratic values.