About Lab Delta
Stemming from a partnership between Alternatives and University of Montreal, Lab-Delta (Digital Rights and Alternative Technologies Lab) is a research and action lab whose main objective is to produce research and tools at the intersection of technology, activism, and critical thinking.
Lab-Delta believes in a free, accessible, and democratic Internet. It position itself as a progressive French-speaking “think tank” on digital issues in the province of Quebec. Lab-Delta aspires to become a venue for community engagement and for the adoption of activist tools, skills and digital practices, for technologies to be used for social justice, human rights and equality.
Lab-Delta received funding from the community investment program of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) in 2020-2021.
Team
Stéphane Couture - Co-director, researcher and head of the research axis
Stéphane Couture is an associate professor in the communication department at Université de Montréal. His research focuses on digital activism, alternative media, free software and community digital infrastructure. He co-founded Koumbit and Facil and collaborated on several projects with civil society organizations.
Sophie Toupin - Co-director, researcher and collaborator
Sophie Toupin is a Horizon Postdoctoral Fellow at Concordia University where she examines critical perspectives on artificial intelligence. She holds a PhD in communication from McGill University.
Chanel Robin - Research assistant - Coordination manager
Chanel Robin is a master’s student in communication sciences at Université de Montréal. Her research interests focus on the tensions between different visions of the conviviality of digital technologies. She also worked on the negotiations surrounding the infrastructure of the alternative social networks of Fediverse, a topic she explores as a research assistant for Lab-Delta.
Kenneth Trueman - Research assistant
Kenneth Trueman is a doctoral student in communication sciences at the University of Montreal. His research interests focus on the Metaverse and its impact on the senses according to Marshall McLuhan’s theory.
Christopher Housseaux - Research assistant
Christopher Housseaux is a master’s student in communication sciences at Université de Montréal. His master’s thesis and research interest focus on social networks practices during civil unrest.
Adel Aouam - Research assistant
Adel Aouam is a master’s student in communication sciences at the University of Montreal. His research interests lie at the intersection of media studies and political communication. As part of his thesis, he plans to examine the practices of circumventing mass surveillance in the context of cyberactivism.
Marvin Ceinos Dumont - Research assistant
Marvin Ceinos Dumont is a passionate student of democracy and new technologies. After obtaining a master’s degree in political communication, he is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in communication sciences at the University of Montreal. His research dissertation focuses on the possibilities of online democracy, with particular emphasis on Web 3.0 and blockchain technology. His objective is to promote a more direct democracy by using technological advances to strengthen citizen participation.
Team 2020-2022
Léonard Buckles – Project manager, Alternatives
Myriam Cloutier – Project manager, Alternatives
Caroline Dubois – Research assistant
Aurélie Girard – Development contractor, Alternatives
Samantha Boucher – Research assistant
Catherine Turgeon – Research assistant
Pauline Rudaz – Research assistant
Eva Giard – Research assistant
Véronique Bolduc – Research assistant