Book on mass surveillance wins Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
Toronto – Wendy H. Wong Wins Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
Wendy H. Wong has been awarded the prestigious Balsillie Prize for Public Policy for her groundbreaking book that delves into the impact of mass data collection on democratic freedoms.
The Writers’ Trust of Canada honored Wong with the $60,000 prize for her work “We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age” at an exclusive ceremony held in Toronto on Tuesday night.
A respected professor of political science at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, Wong’s book was lauded by jurors for its insightful exploration of the rapid and unchecked codification, monitoring, and tracking of humanity in today’s digital landscape.
The Balsillie Prize, established by the Writers’ Trust and sponsored by the Balsillie Family Foundation, recognizes a non-fiction book that contributes to and shapes public policy discussions.
Among this year’s finalists, each receiving $5,000, were Gregor Craigie for “Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve Canada’s Housing Crisis”; Christopher Pollon for “Pitfall: The Race to Mine the World’s Most Vulnerable Places”; and M.G. Vassanji for “Nowhere, Exactly: On Identity and Belonging.”
“We, the Data” was also a contender for the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize, awarded by the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto to the best book on international affairs.
This insightful report by The Canadian Press was originally published on November 26, 2024.
