News Summary May 30th, 2026

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, May 30th.  This week, we begin in Ottawa, where a number of major files moved forward.  The federal government says it will amend parts of its contentious lawful access bill, while civil liberties groups continue warning that Bill C-22 could expand state surveillance without the safeguards Canadians need.  At the same time, senators are studying Bill C-25—the federal elections bill—with political party privacy once again under scrutiny, especially in light of the Alberta voter data breach.  And in British Columbia, the Bill 9 amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act have now passed, despite significant opposition and important amendments pushed by MLAs, civil society, and the public.  Then we turn to Alberta, where the breach involving the personal information of nearly three million voters continues to raise questions about political data, foreign influence, and whether similar risks are being created at the federal level.  We also have a packed Ontario spotlight, with stories on freedom-of-information reversals, public protests, flood funding, endangered species records, municipal meeting transparency, domestic violence disclosure laws, and animal research oversight.  And internationally, artificial intelligence, platform accountability, commercial location data, and civil liberties all remain at the centre of fast-moving public policy debates.   Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260530-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-22  FIPA Voter Privacy  House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  Voterprivacy.ca: www.voterprivacy.ca   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Our Contributors:  Writing: Shaun Fisk | Production: Patrick Farnsworth | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/   News stories through the Canadian Press, Feedly, and ICLMG.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay