We’re excited to share our monthly updates on Frankly, an open-source platform that reimagines digital space for public discourse. Frankly is a project out of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, whih Frankly works to understand the digital world and make sure it promotes human agency, dignity, and genuine connection.
Now, onto the updates!
Summer Highlights: Lots to Talk About!
Our Latest Release
We just rolled out a round of updates to make events easier to run and more reliable for everyone who joins.
- Catch your cowlick: Before entering an event, you’ll now see a preview of your video and can select which camera and microphone to use. No more sorting out your settings once you’re already in your breakout!
- Clearer agenda progression: As they move through the agenda, participants can indicate when they’re ready to move on, see how many other group members are, too, and how many need to be ready before the group advances. The countdown before the next agenda item is also less disruptive. Groups will be able to spend more time talking, and less time trying to decipher each button.
- Downloadable transcripts: This is major – we’re happy to deliver one of our most requested features by our partners! Hosts can now download a written record of the session after an event, allowing the conversation to live on beyond
- Managing your community: Organizers have a new place to review and approve requests to join their community.
- Faster and more reliable: Pages load faster, video connects more smoothly, and hosts see an accurate count of who’s in the room, even when people drop off and rejoin. We also filled in missing translations for participants using Frankly in other languages.
Pilot with Harvard SEAS
As part of our Moonshot seed grant from the Laude Institute, we teamed up with Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) on a pilot and built two new features for it that we’re really proud of. Most communities won’t need them, but any community can opt in. If either sounds useful for your work, let us know at hello@frankly.org.
- Bring your own matching method: Frankly’s Smart Match automatically sorts participants into breakout rooms based on their answers to multiple-choice questions, putting people who answered differently in the same room. Communities with more specific matching needs can now connect their own matching method via API instead. In the SEAS pilot, participants answered an open-ended question and the team’s own algorithm used those written answers to place people in breakout rooms automatically.
- Dynamic statements within breakouts: We also built a way to add statements to a specific breakout room’s agenda during the event, so participants can be introduced to viewpoints that aren’t necessarily represented in their own group.
Frankly Out in the World
Civic Dialogue with Change.org
Change.org’s Ideas for Change asked Schenectady residents what they want for their city. They submitted 583 ideas and cast more than 30,000 votes, and food access came out as the issue to take on next. Just under 100 residents then used Frankly to review and improve proposed food access policies. Their recommendations will go to Mayor McCarthy and other city leaders.
Lawrence Lessig Op-Ed
Frankly Faculty Lead Larry Lessig of Harvard Law School mentioned Frankly in his recent op-ed in The Hartford Courant about Connecticut’s Citizens’ Assembly on property taxes. He argues that the real work starts once the assembly delivers its recommendations, and that if Connecticut pulls it off, other places could follow.
Frankly, Can We Be Friends?
Want to play a role in supporting Frankly, enabling democratic participation and community building online? Join the Friends of Frankly! The platform still has a lot of growing to do and we’re looking for help from any and all interested in its development by participating in testing sessions, both remotely and in-person.
Being a Friend of Frankly includes several perks, like: exclusive community space on Frankly for members, with invite-only events including figures in online civic deliberations and public interest technology, fun stickers, and the satisfaction of knowing you helped play a part in making a difference in promoting democracy!
If you’re interested in learning more and signing up, visit our Friends of Frankly page.
Join the Frankly Team for Our Monthly Forum!
Thursday, October 15, 2026 1pm ET / 10am PT
Join us on Frankly for questions, feedback, and a discussion on the future of the platform.
To RSVP, visit the Frankly community page and click on the upcoming forum. You’ll need to register for a free account if you don’t have one already.
We hope to see you there.
The Door is Closing Soon – Join Our Closed Beta!
Are you an organization hosting conversations, workshops, or community discussions? We’re currently onboarding new groups into our closed beta. Send us an email at hello@frankly.org with the email address associated with your Frankly account.If you have any questions, you can explore the Frankly Help Center or email us at hello@frankly.org.
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