Access and Privacy Online

In last week’s News Summary for May 16th, we at FIPA spotlighted the fallout from a cyberattack on the online learning platform Canvas, the inherent risk of education systems relying on outside platforms for essential functions, and that when one is compromised, the impact can spread across thousands of schools almost instantly. We really wanted to highlight that story, and so we’re presenting it again on the feed for your consider...

In last week’s News Summary for May 16th, we at FIPA spotlighted privacy concerns regarding connected cars, namely major gaps in automakers’ privacy policies when measured against Canadian data-protection principles. We really wanted to highlight that story, and so we’re presenting it again on the feed for your consideration.

Show Notes for May 16th News Summary: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260516-access-and-privacy-online 

Individual ...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, May 16th. 

This week, we begin in Alberta, where the voter list breach continues to widen—with Elections Alberta warning that the number of people who accessed the data may be incomplete, while privacy, election, and police investigations continue. 

We then turn to a network update on political privacy, Bill C-25, Bill C-22, and B.C.’s Bill 9—all part of a broader national ...

FIPA President Mike Larsen reflects on the Alberta elector data breach.  

In this commentary, he considers that when political parties are left outside meaningful privacy rules, sensitive democratic data can be collected, shared, and exposed without proper accountability.  

Mike connects the Alberta breach to federal developments in Ottawa, including Bill C-25 and the earlier Bill C-4 changes. And he asks a direct question:   

Shou...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, May 9th. 

This week, we begin with the still-unfolding Alberta voter list breach, where nearly three million electors' personal information may have been exposed through a searchable database tied to separatist organizing. 

The latest developments now include investigations by Elections Alberta, the RCMP, and Alberta’s Privacy Commissioner—along with serious questions about...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, May 2nd. 

This week, we begin with a developing voter privacy story out of Alberta. 

Elections Alberta says there was no breach of its own systems—but that a copy of the provincial List of Electors, provided to a legitimate political recipient, may have been used or distributed inappropriately.  

A court injunction has now ordered the Centurion Project to take down an onlin...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, April 25th. 

This week, access-to-information rights are under pressure in Ontario and British Columbia, civil society is warning Parliament about Bill C-22, and new Ipsos polling shows Canadians want stronger privacy rules for federal political parties. 

We’ll also look at FOI records, AI policy, connected vehicles, and major privacy and rights stories from the United Stat...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, April 18th. 

This week, we’re tracking a growing surveillance push in Canada—from federal bills that civil liberties advocates warn could expand state access to personal data to local governments in British Columbia embracing deeper camera-based policing partnerships. 

In Alberta, concerns are mounting over political interference in libraries and new reporting that suggests...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, April 11th. 

This week, we’re tracking a troubling new phase in the pressure on access and privacy rights across Canada. 

In British Columbia, the provincial government has confirmed it is now using artificial intelligence tools in freedom of information processing, even as concerns grow about transparency, accountability, and the lack of a clear public framework. We’ll als...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, March 28th. 

This week, Ontario’s government is moving to shield political records from access-to-information laws, and it has set up a direct clash with the province’s independent privacy commissioner. 

At the federal level, a new bill aimed at protecting Canada’s electoral system is raising early questions—including whether privacy concerns are addressed. 

We’re also trac...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, March 21st. 

This week, we begin with a troubling pattern that has been unfolding across Canada. 

What started in British Columbia with Bill 9 is now being echoed elsewhere: governments and political actors chipping away at access-to-information and privacy rights while describing those changes as modernization, efficiency, or administrative reform. 

Taken together, it look...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, March 14th. 

It’s another busy week across Canada’s privacy and transparency landscape. 

We’re tracking a major privacy investigation into Loblaw’s PC Optimum program, new conditions allowing TikTok to keep operating in Canada, and growing concerns about facial recognition and workplace AI surveillance. 

And on the transparency front, Canada’s Information Commissioner is wa...

Mike Larsen of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association explains how Part 4 of Bill C-4 would exempt federal political parties from federal and provincial privacy laws and leave Canadians without a legal right to access or control their personal information held by parties.

FIPA’s petition calls on the House of Commons to oppose or repeal any changes to law that have the effect of exempting political parties from priva...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, March 7th. 

It’s been a busy week across the privacy and transparency landscape and here at FIPA.  

In British Columbia, the provincial government has introduced Bill 9, a set of amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act that critics say could weaken public access to government records.  

At the federal level, Bill C-4 Part 4—the controversial p...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 28th. 

It’s a busy week with big stories and late - breaking developments on Bill C-4 Part 4. 

Artificial intelligence companies are sitting at the centre of a devastating human tragedy in Tumbler Ridge—raising questions about what happens when private companies flag violent threats but face no clear legal duty to act. 

At the same time, political parties are being...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 21st. 

This week, the Senate delivers a significant report on Bill C-4, Part 4, with a majority of committee members warning that the proposed political party privacy regime falls far short of minimum standards—and recommending that it be removed, severed, or sunset. 

We’re also tracking how access-to-information requests continue to expose accountability gaps—from...

This is a special edition of Access and Privacy Online, bringing you an update on the Senate hearings into Bill C-4, Part 4.  

Over the past week, Senators have heard unified testimony from privacy regulators, civil society leaders, and academic experts—all warning that Part 4 weakens Canadians’ privacy rights rather than strengthening them.  

Today, we’ll walk through what happened, what tools are being used to hold government acc...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 14th. 

This week, policing is under increased privacy and information scrutiny as a sweeping corruption scandal in Toronto has led to charges against eight current and former officers—and triggered a province-wide systems review across Ontario. 

We’re also tracking renewed calls to bring the Prime Minister’s Office under access-to-information law, a major Supreme C...

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 7th. 

This week, access-to-information requests continue to expose deep accountability gaps—from millions in executive bonuses paid despite missed federal performance targets, to Alberta municipalities left carrying hundreds of millions in unpaid oil and gas taxes. 

We’re also looking at how transparency failures intersect with human harm—whether that's labor traff...