Podcasts

#108 | Democracy Under Attack: The Rise of Online Hate

Access to Justice – Sep 2025

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#108 | Democracy Under Attack: The Rise of Online Hate
Broadcast Date: September 18, 2025

EPISODE SUMMARY | DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE | BIOGRAPHIES | RELATED DOCUMENTATION

EPISODE SUMMARY

Online harassment of political figures in Canada is on the rise. Nearly half of campaign-related tweets are uncivil or abusive, discouraging diverse candidates and eroding trust in democracy.

In this episode, Host Anthony Giroux (Law Student at the University of Montreal) speaks with Sabreena Delhon (CEO of the Samara Centre for Democracy) and Dr. Heidi Tworek (Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy at the University of British Columbia). Together, they explore how disinformation, targeted and identity-based harassment, and algorithm-driven amplification are reshaping democratic participation in Canada. The discussion examines the specific challenges faced by women, racialized, and 2SLGBTQ+ candidates, the role of bots and foreign influence in spreading abuse, and the constitutional tension between free expression and curbing online hate. Delhon explains how SAMbot tracks toxic discourse during elections, while both guests reflect on solutions—from party protocols and platform moderation to policy reforms and community-driven responses—that could help safeguard trust, representation, and inclusion in Canadian democracy.

Guests

Sabreena Delhon, Chief Executive Officer, Samara Centre for Democracy
Dr. Heidi Tworek, Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy, University of British Columbia

Host

Anthony Giroux, Law Student, Faculty of Law, University of Montreal

Ready to explore the future of our democracies ?

From podcast to panel: Following their powerful conversation in this episode, both Dr. Heidi Tworek and Sabreena Delhon will also be joining us as speakers at the upcoming conference on Democracy, the Rule of Law, and Independence. Dr. Tworek will contribute to Panel 2, and Sabreena Delhon to Panel 4.

Join us for our conference on Democracy, the Rule of Law, and Independence:

November 18–20, 2025
Ottawa & Online

A must-attend event for collective reflection on the threats facing our democratic institutions, alongside leading figures from the legal and intellectual spheres, including The Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada, and Jason Stanley.

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

BIOGRAPHIES

Sabreena Delhon

Sabreena Delhon, CEO of the Samara Centre for Democracy, a non-partisan registered charity, is dedicated to realizing a resilient democracy with an engaged public and responsive institutions. For over a decade, she has led multi-stakeholder research and outreach initiatives that have made a significant impact across justice, academic, and non-profit sectors. Sabreena has appeared as an expert witness before Parliamentary committees on matters related to political participation and frequently provides commentary on democratic engagement for various media outlets, including the Globe & Mail, CBC Radio, and the Toronto Star. She is also the host of Humans of the House, an award-winning podcast that explores the lived experiences of former Members of Parliament. Sabreena holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Alberta and an MA in Sociology from Dalhousie University. She is a Senior Fellow at Massey College and a recipient of the Coronation Medal for service to Canada.

Dr. Heidi Tworek

Professor Heidi Tworek is a Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy at the University of British Columbia, where she also directs the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Her work explores how new communications technologies affect democracy in the past and present.

A globally recognized scholar, Professor Tworek bridges academia and public policy to tackle challenges around democracy, digital platforms, and global communication. She is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and holds non-resident fellowships at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. She is also a fellow of Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Canada’s New College of Scholars, Artists, and Scientists.

Tworek is the author of the award-winning book News from Germany: The Competition to Control World Communications, 1900–1945 (Harvard University Press, 2019) and co-editor of three other books. She has published or has forthcoming over 50 book chapters and journal articles spanning media history, platform governance, digital health policy, the history of technology, international organizations, and transatlantic relations.

Her research has been supported by leading institutions, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Genome Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and Harvard University. She has co-led multimillion-dollar grants and serves as a board chair and co-founder of several global initiatives, including the Global Platform Governance Research Network and Digital Action, an NGO advancing democratic rights in the digital age.

A trusted voice in international policy, Professor Tworek has briefed and advised government officials around the world on democracy, digital governance, and media strategy. She regularly contributes policy briefs and reports on topics such as generative AI and platform regulation, health communications, and online harassment, and has served on multiple steering committees for transatlantic and international working groups.

Her writing has been published in leading outlets including Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, The Globe & Mail, Wired, and The Conversation. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Financial Times, CNN, STAT News, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, among many others. She frequently appears on radio, podcasts, and television in countries including Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Germany.

Tworek earned her BA with double first-class honours from Cambridge University and her MA and PhD in History from Harvard University, where she won the Herman E. Krooss Prize for Best Dissertation in Business History. She has held fellowships at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the Transatlantic Academy in Washington, D.C., Birkbeck College London, and the Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam. She currently co-edits the Journal of Global History and is an associate editor of Business History.

Anthony Giroux

Anthony is a law student at the University of Montreal and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Concordia University. He is currently completing an internship at the CIAJ and has a strong interest in pursuing a career in banking law, corporate law, or family law. His background includes work in banking and credit services.