Digital democracy

Description  

There’s heaps that the Government is doing, and can do to bring our democracy into the 21st Century. And there are plenty of things that New Zealand’s Internet Community can do to demand more, build more and use the Internet for our democracy. Let's have some great discussions especially in a post-election timeframe.

MC Megan Whelan

Megan is RNZ's acting digital editor, and semi-regular presenter on the actual radio. She has been a journalist for more than a decade, and has covered everything from earthquakes to elections. Her proudest moment was including a Pat Benatar reference in a story about rugby on RNZ.co.nz. She can be found reading nerdy corners of the Internet, drinking in hipster beer bars, and wondering when she last fed her sourdough starter.

Alex Sims

Alex Sims is an Associate Professor and Head of Department of the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland. Alex is a blockchain enthusiast and has presented on blockchain and cryptocurrencies to many organisations both in New Zealand and internationally. Alex is currently completing a project funded by the Law Foundation on the legal regulation of digital currencies in New Zealand and Australia. She has always been fascinated by technology and the law and in 2001 began teaching on the quaintly named postgraduate course “Computer, Telecommunications and Multimedia Law” – which later morphed in to “Communications and Information Technology Law”. Alex’s legacy research is on copyright law, particular fair dealing/fair use and also consumer law. Alex is a past President of the Asian Pacific Copyright Association and former Women’s Vice-President of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU). And amongst other things, is on the Governing Council of Telecommunications Dispute Resolution (TDR) and a committee member of the New Zealand Privacy Foundation.