Not all digital progress comes from billion-dollar telecoms or federal programs. Across Canada and beyond, grassroots digital movements are stepping in where institutions fall short — building networks, pushing for rights, and shaping the future of the internet from the bottom up.
What They Look Like
Community Wi-Fi projects: Local groups pooling resources to bring affordable access.
Open-source activism: Volunteers developing free tools for security, transparency, or accessibility.
Advocacy coalitions: Campaigns demanding fair pricing, net neutrality, and stronger privacy laws.
Digital mutual aid: Neighbours sharing devices, skills, and connectivity.
Canadian Context
Indigenous digital sovereignty: Communities building and managing their own networks to ensure control and cultural safety.
Northern initiatives: Local groups experimenting with satellite and mesh networks to bypass infrastructure gaps.
Privacy advocacy: Grassroots groups lobbying against invasive surveillance or weak data protections.
Youth movements: Student-led campaigns calling for open educational resources and climate-aligned tech policy.
The Challenges
Funding: Grassroots efforts often rely on volunteers and donations, limiting scale.
Policy barriers: Licensing, spectrum allocation, and telecom regulations can block community-run networks.
Visibility: Movements struggle to be heard over corporate and government narratives.
Burnout: Sustaining momentum without institutional support is hard.
The Opportunities
Scalable models: Successful grassroots pilots can inspire national programs.
Partnerships: Collaborations with municipalities, nonprofits, or co-ops can amplify impact.
Democratizing tech: Grassroots projects show that digital infrastructure doesn’t have to be top-down.
Empowerment: Building capacity at the local level strengthens resilience and digital literacy.
The Bigger Picture
Grassroots digital movements remind us that the internet isn’t just something provided — it’s something people can build, govern, and reclaim. They challenge the idea that connectivity and digital rights are the sole domain of governments and corporations.
The Question
What role should grassroots digital movements play in shaping Canada’s digital future — stopgap solutions until policy catches up, or permanent fixtures in a more democratic digital landscape?
Grassroots Digital Movements
Change From the Ground Up
Not all digital progress comes from billion-dollar telecoms or federal programs. Across Canada and beyond, grassroots digital movements are stepping in where institutions fall short — building networks, pushing for rights, and shaping the future of the internet from the bottom up.
What They Look Like
Canadian Context
The Challenges
The Opportunities
The Bigger Picture
Grassroots digital movements remind us that the internet isn’t just something provided — it’s something people can build, govern, and reclaim. They challenge the idea that connectivity and digital rights are the sole domain of governments and corporations.
The Question
What role should grassroots digital movements play in shaping Canada’s digital future — stopgap solutions until policy catches up, or permanent fixtures in a more democratic digital landscape?