Access and Privacy Online

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, June 20th.  This week: Ottawa moves on privacy, online safety, and surveillance powers; FIPA releases new work on access rights and transparency systems; and New Brunswick’s review of its access and privacy law points to familiar questions about timeliness, recordkeeping, voter privacy, and independent oversight.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260620-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-25  FIPA VoterPrivacy.ca  Voterprivacy.ca: www.voterprivacy.ca  House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  Important: After signing this Parliamentary petition, you must confirm your email address via the reply email they send you for your signature to count.  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   

Join us for FIPA's Annual General Meeting held on June 25, 2026, at 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time via Microsoft Teams.   FIPA’s 2026 AGM is an ideal opportunity to hear highlights of the Association’s work over the past year and our key priorities going forward. We will conduct regular AGM business and elect Board members.   We look forward to seeing you there!  AGM Notice https://fipa.bc.ca/2026-agm-notice/  Support these efforts by subscribing, donating, or become a member  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay  

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, June 13th.  This week, voter privacy returns to the spotlight—with a major Senate report and fresh court developments in British Columbia.  We’re also tracking Canada’s new AI strategy, proposed online safety rules for children and chatbots, access-to-information fights in Ontario and Nova Scotia, and international concerns over AI-generated images, border vetting, and institutional accountability.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260613-access-and-privacy-online Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-24 FIPA Voter Privacy  House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  Voterprivacy.ca: www.voterprivacy.ca   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   

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, June 6th.  This week, we begin in Alberta, where new FIPA-Ipsos polling shows strong public support for enforceable privacy rules after the exposure of voter information for 2.9 million Albertans.  We’ll also look at Alberta’s new combined ID cards, the federal lawful access bill, connected vehicle data, and several access-to-information stories that show how public records continue to shape accountability across the country.  And before we go, we’ll turn to whistleblowing—from B.C.’s first securities whistleblower award to an Ontario court ruling on undercover investigations.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260606-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-23  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 

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 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, May 23rd.  This week, privacy and transparency are colliding with some of the biggest political and public policy questions in the country.  We begin with a network update on Bill C-22, the federal lawful access bill that civil liberties groups are warning could expand surveillance powers and weaken online privacy protections.  Then we turn to Alberta, where the voter list breach continues to grow in significance—with new reporting on U.S. political technology links, court filings, safety risks for domestic violence survivors, and unanswered questions about how the personal information of nearly three million Albertans was exposed.  Across Canada, we look at privacy disputes involving short-term rental addresses, migrant access to health care, workplace AI, and the sex offender registry.  On access to information, we track Ontario’s new transparency restrictions, jail overcrowding, environmental accountability fights in Erin, climate modelling in Newfoundland and Labrador, Hydro-Québec secrecy, and Uber’s lobbying in Halifax.  And internationally, we look at public records and accountability stories from Romania, the United States, and Michigan—where freedom of information continues to show what governments and institutions would otherwise leave hidden.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260523-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-21  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 

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 consideration. Show Notes for May 16th News Summary: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260516-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-20  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  Voterprivacy.ca: www.voterprivacy.ca  Access and Privacy Commentaries: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-20  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  Voterprivacy.ca: www.voterprivacy.ca  Access and Privacy Commentaries: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 debate about who controls personal information and who gets access to public records.  We’ll also look at connected cars, after General Motors agreed to a record California privacy penalty for selling driver data.  And we’ll examine the Canvas cyberattack affecting thousands of schools, along with privacy stories involving PowerSchool, body cameras, medical AI, tax account breaches, and public accountability.   All before we dive into other stories from the week. Don’t forget you can find links to all the reporting that informs these summaries in our show notes.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260516-access-and-privacy-online Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-20  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 

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:    Should political parties be trusted to regulate themselves when handling Canadians’ personal information?  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  Voterprivacy.ca: www.voterprivacy.ca  Access and Privacy Commentaries: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay  

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 whether recent changes to Alberta election law made it harder for the watchdog to act sooner.  We’ll also look at the national implications of that breach, including why FIPA and civil society partners launched VoterPrivacy.ca and are calling for real privacy rules for political parties.  On access to information, we track major transparency concerns in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, a quick note on developments in BC, and how access leads to better accountability, revealing public health, education, and governance issues across the country.  Don’t forget you can find links to all the reporting that informs these summaries in our show notes.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260509-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-19 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   

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 online database containing voter information and to identify who received or accessed the list.  It is a sharp reminder that voter data is not just campaign infrastructure. It is sensitive personal information about people’s homes, identities, and participation in democracy.  We’ll also look at youth privacy and digital citizenship, Manitoba’s proposed social media ban for children, a new health research consent system in Nova Scotia, and Ontario’s sweeping changes to freedom-of-information law.  And later, we turn to access and whistleblower stories across Canada before closing with U.S. and international developments on voter data, political violence, prediction markets, health-data breaches, and child safety online.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260502-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-18  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 

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 States and Europe.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260425-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-17  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 the government’s own health data may not match the public story it tried to tell.  We also have fresh access-to-information reporting on Ontario’s jail expansion plans, an internal memo on CSIS’s expanding foreign intelligence role, and a strong set of stories on AI, social media, and children’s privacy.    Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260418-access-and-privacy-online Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-16  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237    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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay

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 also look at how FIPA brought those broader concerns to the Privacy and Access Council of Canada this week, as the pattern of so-called modernization continues to narrow access rights in multiple provinces.  Elsewhere, Ontario’s government is facing backlash over sweeping budget legislation that would retroactively shield political records from freedom-of-information law, while in Alberta, access-obtained documents raise fresh concerns about ideological influence over public education.  And internationally, the pressure is rising on Big Tech, as courts and governments take a much harder line on youth social media harms and platform accountability.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260411-access-and-privacy-online   Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-15   FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237    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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 tracking cybersecurity developments across Canada, including fallout from the Nova Scotia Power breach and a blackmail attempt targeting a sitting legislator.  Internationally, a U.S. jury has found Meta responsible for harms to children, as governments continue to look at how to regulate social media and artificial intelligence.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260328-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-13  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237    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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 looks less like a series of isolated reforms and more like a broader race to the bottom—one where secrecy expands, accountability contracts, and the public is asked to accept it all as reasonable housekeeping.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260321-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-12  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237    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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 warning that federal access-to-information reform proposals lack ambition—while freedom-of-information reporting reveals gaps in everything from hospital overdose data to environmental spill reporting.   And in late-breaking news this week, as British Columbia continues debate over Bill 9, the government’s proposed changes to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Ontario introduces changes designed to let the Premier act without public scrutiny.  And on the Federal front, as one chapter has closed, another opens as Bill C-4 has passed into law.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260314-access-and-privacy-online Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-11  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 privacy obligations. It also calls on the House of Commons to impose meaningful and enforceable privacy rules that will govern the activities of federal political parties.   We urge listeners to sign Petition E-7237 on the House of Commons website, which calls for enforceable privacy rules for political parties. The petition is open for signatures, and we encourage you to sign and share it.  E-7237 Petition to the House of Commons: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7237  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7237    Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/   

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 proposal to shield federal political parties from privacy law oversight—is returning to the House of Commons after the Senate added a three-year sunset clause intended to force Parliament to adopt real privacy protections.   Meanwhile, Meta’s AI smart glasses are already raising serious privacy concerns as reports emerge of users secretly recording people in vulnerable situations.   This week also saw major conversations about artificial intelligence governance, as FIPA joined experts and policymakers at the 28th Annual Victoria International Privacy and Security Summit, while our civil-society network continues work on Canada’s People’s Consultation on AI.   We’ll also look at how access-to-information requests continue to expose accountability gaps, from government communications around EV rebates to whistleblower reports on workplace abuse and public health risks.   And we’ll close with a difficult but important conversation about the tension between children’s privacy rights and parental authority, a debate now unfolding across Canada and the United States.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260307-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-10  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  FIPA E-petition page: https://fipa.bc.ca/upcoming-hoc-e-petition    House of Commons E-Petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7237    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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 pitched AI-powered “digital fighters” to weaponize voter data in real time—even as Parliament and Senate continue debating legislation that would shield parties from independent privacy oversight.  Remaining in B.C., the provincial government has introduced Bill 9, promising efficiency in the FOI system—while critics warn it weakens access rights and ignores longstanding recordkeeping failures.  And in the United States, court battles over press freedom, immigration enforcement secrecy, and mass document disclosures continue to test the boundaries of constitutional protections.  It’s a week when surveillance, accountability, and democratic safeguards are colliding.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260228-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-09  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/  Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/  Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 more than 1,500 Canadians serving in the Israeli military to unanswered questions about how many patients are overdosing inside B.C. hospitals.  At the local level, we look at environmental enforcement concerns in Kahnawà:ke, farmland preservation battles in Ontario, and record deficits in New Brunswick.  And internationally, voter data seizures, police database abuse, AI identity disputes, and even iPhone security features are raising urgent questions about how personal information is protected—or misused.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260221-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-08  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/  Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/  Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 accountable, and what comes next. As usual, you can find all the supporting material in our show notes.   At the time of posting, Bill C-4 remains before a Senate committee. It is not too late to make your voice heard. We’ll bring you more next week—and you can find more details in the show notes below.   Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/202402-fipa-commentary-bill-c-4-special-edition  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-07  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Bill C-4 Part 4 Senate: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-in-the-senate/   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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 Court ruling reshaping solicitor-client privilege, and an the ongoing crisis in Nova Scotia following last year’s cyberattack on the province’s power utility.  In the United States, lawmakers are battling over classified complaints, election rules, surveillance programs, and the fallout from the Epstein files—while new disclosures reveal the IRS mistakenly shared taxpayer data with Homeland Security.  And we close with the extraordinary personal impact of U.S. sanctions on a Canadian judge serving at the International Criminal Court.  At the time of recording, Bill C-4 remains before a Senate committee. It’s not too late to make your voice heard. We’ll bring you more next week—and you can find details in the show notes.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260214-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-07  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/  Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/  Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

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 trafficking hidden inside Canada’s temporary worker programs or privacy breakdowns affecting seniors, victims of crime, and students navigating AI in the classroom.  Internationally, Europe is taking some big steps—there's a raid of a major tech platform and evidence they are walking away from U.S.-based digital infrastructure in the name of privacy and sovereignty.  And in the United States, we’re tracking the growing consequences of surveillance-driven immigration enforcement, weak redaction practices, and the erosion of oversight norms.   Late breaking this week: Bill C-4, Part 4, is heading toward a unique Senate committee. It is not too late to contact Senators or your MP. You’ll find links in the show notes, and we'll be following developments closely.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260207-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-06  FIPA Bill C-4  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/  Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/  Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, January 31st.  This week, artificial intelligence is colliding with privacy, democracy, and public trust—from Google’s move to fold personal data directly into AI-powered search to renewed federal plans for an online harms bill that could reshape how Canadians, especially children, experience the internet.  We’re also tracking how access-to-information requests continue to reveal gaps in accountability, from policing and municipal spending to environmental protection, while privacy failures—inside police forces, public utilities, and care homes—raise urgent questions about oversight and transparency.  And in the United States, we’ll look at platform power, data breaches, voter privacy, and what happens when democratic processes slip out of public view.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260131-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-05  FIPA Bill C-4:  Bill C-4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Backgrounder: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-background/  Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/  Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/  Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, January 24th.  This week, we’re tracking a sharp escalation in surveillance and enforcement powers—from a B.C. municipality openly challenging a privacy watchdog’s authority to U.S. immigration officers asserting the right to enter homes without a judge’s warrant.  We’re also looking at how access-to-information requests continue to expose gaps in oversight—whether that’s contaminated land in Ontario, the limits of Canada’s whistleblower protections, or the growing pressure on public transparency as AI, trade, and national security collide.  And internationally, we’ll examine how internet shutdowns and connected-car technologies are reshaping privacy and access to information far beyond Canada’s borders.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260124-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-04  FIPA Bill C-4  UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/  Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, January 17th.  We’re starting the year with a heavy focus on access to information and what happens when transparency fails or is actively resisted.  This week, access requests uncover troubling gaps in domestic-violence prosecutions in Nunavut, reveal why a Parks Canada boat ban blindsided communities in Manitoba, and expose how billions of public dollars tied to Brampton’s electric-bus plans remain almost entirely redacted.  We’ll also look at growing privacy concerns—from Manitoba’s new digital ID wallet to failures in protecting tenants’ personal information—and whistleblower-driven stories involving police misconduct and university governance.  Then, we turn south, where the Trump administration is again testing the limits of federal power—using funding threats, data demands, and political pressure in ways that raise serious privacy and democratic concerns.  And finally, from CES, a cautionary look at how AI-powered consumer devices are collecting more personal data than ever—often with little oversight.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260117-access-and-privacy-online Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-03   FIPA Bill C-4: UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/ Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/ 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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Thursday, January 15th—our first  News Summary of 2026.  After the holiday break, there’s a lot to catch up on. Across Canada and internationally, familiar themes re-emerge: data breaches with unresolved accountability, governments struggling to balance security, privacy, and transparency, and growing pressure to define how artificial intelligence is governed—or not governed—in practice.  We’ll start in Nova Scotia, where the fallout from a major data breach is colliding with electricity rate hikes and renewed debate over access-to-information law. Then we’ll move through Canadian privacy and access stories shaped by FOI requests before turning to international developments involving Big Tech, AI misuse, and whistleblower protections.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260115-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-02   FIPA Bill C-4  UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/  Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

In this commentary, we have a special end-of-year commentary among FIPA contributors.   Tune in to hear our discussion between FIPA President Mike Larsen and Executive Director Jason Woywada as we discuss the year that was and the year ahead.   Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM 

In this commentary, we have a special end-of-year commentary among FIPA contributors.   Tune in to hear our discussion between producer Patrick Farnsworth, FIPA researcher Spencer Izen, and Executive Director Jason Woywada as they discuss Spencer’s work and research with the preliminary report from his access assessments.  2025 Access Assessment Preliminary Report: https://fipa.bc.ca/aa/preliminary-report-2025/   Access Regimes: Social Studies of Recordkeeping, Bureaucracy, and Secrecy under Freedom of Information Law: https://osf.io/n2xmu/overview   BC Broader Public Sector Requests: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/2024-bc-broader-public-sector-requests/   BC Core Government Requests: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/2024-bc-core-government-requests/   Access Assessment Release Packages: https://fipa.bc.ca/aa/2025-release-packages/   Reporting   What’s the ‘black box’ of B.C.’s freedom of information systems? Watchdog study shining light on little-understood process: https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/whats-the-black-box-of-bcs-freedom-of-information-systems-watchdog-study-shining-light-on-little-understood-process/  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM 

In this commentary, we have a special end-of-year commentary among FIPA contributors.   Tune in to hear our discussion with FIPA researcher Ryan Rutley, who was one of our University of Victoria Law Co-op Students at FIPA this year. We discuss his experience and work around Bill C-4 Submissions, Leading and Trailing Language with FoIPPA Exemption Clauses, and the CBA Privacy and Access Law Conference.  2025 Interprovincial Clause Analysis—frivolous vexatious: https://fipa.bc.ca/rr/clause-analysis-frivolous-vexatious Leading Language 2024: https://fipa.bc.ca/leading-language-2024/   2024 Foreign Interference Commission: https://fipa.bc.ca/2024-foreign-interference-commission/  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM 

In this segment of our end-of-year discussion, FIPA President Mike Larsen, Executive Director Jason Woyada, and producer Patrick Farnsworth look ahead to the stories they’re following into the new year.  Tune in to hear the full discussion in the coming weeks. Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM 

In this segment of our end-of-year discussion, FIPA researcher Ryan Rutley explains why Part 4 of Bill C-4 is a direct attack on the privacy of Canadians and how his research intersects with FIPA’s call to action. Tune in to hear the full discussion in the coming weeks.  UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/  Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Send comments to [email protected]   Access and Privacy Commentaries: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/    Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/   News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.   

In this segment of our end-of-year discussion, FIPA researcher Spencer Izen discusses his insights into FOI and operational and administrative record keeping.  Tune in to hear the full discussion in the coming weeks. 2025 Access Assessment Preliminary Report https://fipa.bc.ca/aa/preliminary-report-2025/   Access Regimes: Social Studies of Recordkeeping, Bureaucracy, and Secrecy under Freedom of Information Law: https://osf.io/n2xmu/overview   BC Broader Public Sector Requests: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/2024-bc-broader-public-sector-requests/   BC Core Government Requests: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/2024-bc-core-government-requests/   Access Assessment Release Packages: https://fipa.bc.ca/aa/2025-release-packages/   Reporting   What’s the ‘black box’ of B.C.’s freedom of information systems? Watchdog study shining light on little-understood process: https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/whats-the-black-box-of-bcs-freedom-of-information-systems-watchdog-study-shining-light-on-little-understood-process/  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, December 20th.   As we close out our final news summary of 2025, this week’s stories bring together a familiar set of themes: how access to information exposes public risk, how governments are reshaping decision-making behind closed doors, and how emerging technologies—from artificial intelligence to biometric surveillance—are testing the limits of privacy law around the world.  We’ll begin with national reporting shaped by access-to-information requests, then move through Local Journalism Initiative stories on accountability, spending, and environmental risk. From there, we turn to growing debates over Canadian AI data centres, before closing with international access-to-information battles and a condensed look at the Trump-era ripple effects across U.S. institutions.  A quick reminder: Bill C-4 is now at first reading in the Senate. It’s not too late to contact committee members or your Member of Parliament. We hope many of our listeners would agree—especially this time of year—political parties shouldn’t be allowed to put Canadians on secret naughty lists. Be sure to follow the show notes to let them know.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251220-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-51   FIPA Bill C-4  UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/  Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, December 13th.   As we head into the holiday season, it’s another big week for access and privacy. Local Journalism Initiative reporting uncovers serious questions about water safety, council transparency, and digital surveillance at home. Nationally, we’re seeing renewed pressure around the Ring of Fire, critical minerals, and Indigenous consent. Around the world, governments are reshaping whistleblower protections, social media rules for kids, and even how far U.S. presidential power can reach.  We’ll move from Canadian access-to-information stories, through whistleblowers and privacy on campus and in our streets, before turning to international developments, U.S. institutional dynamics, and America’s growing influence on the digital rights of travelers.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251213-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-50  FIPA on Bill C-4   UPDATED Call to Action https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/   FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/   Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief  https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/   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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

BC Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey returns to Access and Privacy Online to speak with FIPA President Mike Larsen, Executive Director Jason Woywada, and producer Patrick Farnsworth.   Commissioner Harvey addresses several key subjects, including the BC government's latest report on the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act and concerns that people are losing faith in the FOI system as a means to an end of transparency; the perils of misinformation and loss of public trust; the information ecosystem and the need to balance budgetary concerns and investment; privacy and educational technology; and Canadian data sovereignty.  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Show notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251124-bc-oipc-commissioner-michael-harvey  Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay  

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, December 6th.   This week, police-worn body cameras are expanding across the country—and in some places, they’re being paired with new AI tools that raise serious questions about oversight and public transparency. We’re also watching a surge of major developments out of Alberta, from an influential access-to-information ruling to new concerns about digital ID, health-care numbers, and AI-driven infrastructure.   Across Canada, we have important stories about long-term care gaps for Indigenous Elders, cyberattacks, fraud risks, and a growing wave of holiday scams. And internationally, major rulings and investigations are shaping what we know—and what the public may soon learn—about powerful institutions, from social media platforms to the U.S. justice system.   And a reminder: the Senate is expected to move quickly on the federal bill that would allow political parties to operate outside Canada’s privacy principles. You’ll find links in our show notes where you can make your voice heard—with the Minister and with your local Member of Parliament.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251206-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-49  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

BC Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey returns to Access and Privacy Online to speak with FIPA President Mike Larsen, Executive Director Jason Woywada, and producer Patrick Farnsworth. Here is a brief segment of our interview.  Following the release of a joint statement from Commissioners across Canada calling for government action, the Commissioner unpacks how the lack of transparency from public bodies erodes trust and fuels misinformation.   Be sure to check back for the full interview, which goes online in the week ahead.  Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentaries: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Report on the Administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2024/25: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/initiatives-plans-strategies/open-government/open-information/annual_report_on_the_administration_of_foippa_fy_24-25.pdf   Are People Losing Trust in BC’s FOI System?: https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/11/07/Are-People-Losing-Trust-BC-FOI-System/    Canada’s information regulators call on their respective governments to promote a more robust information ecosystem: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/news-releases/3047    OIPC / ORL Budget submission Fiscal years 2026/27 - 2028/29: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/budget-annual-report-service-plans/3037    OIPC Trust in the Age of Information 2025/26 - 2027/28 Strategic Plan: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/special-reports/3028    Protecting the privacy of children and youth through responsible use of educational technologies in the classroom: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/infographics/3051    Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/43rd-1stsession-fgs    Friday, November 21, 2025 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/43rdparliament-1stsession-fgs/meetings/3460    Includes: Annual Review of Statutory Offices of British Columbia: Three-year rolling service plans, annual report and budgetary estimates for fiscal years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner: https://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard-content/Committees/43rd1st/fgs/20251121am-Finance-Victoria-Blues.htm    Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Budget Submission, 2026/27: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19717/IPC_Budget-Submission_2026-2027_FGS.pdf   Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Budget Tables, 2026/27: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19719/IPC_Budget-Tables_2026-27_FGS.pdf   Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Annual Report, 2024/25: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19718/IPC_Annual-Report_2024-25_FGS.pdf  

BC Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey returns to Access and Privacy Online to speak with FIPA President Mike Larsen, Executive Director Jason Woywada, and producer Patrick Farnsworth. Here is a brief segment of our interview.  The province of BC recently released their Report on the Administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for 2024/25. The numbers show requests dropping, costs going up, and complaints increasing. We ask the commissioner to give us his take on what those mean.  Be sure to check back for the full interview, which goes online in the week ahead.   Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.  Send comments to [email protected]  Access and Privacy Commentaries: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/   Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/  News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.  Report on the Administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2024/25: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/initiatives-plans-strategies/open-government/open-information/annual_report_on_the_administration_of_foippa_fy_24-25.pdf  Are People Losing Trust in BC’s FOI System?: https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/11/07/Are-People-Losing-Trust-BC-FOI-System/   Canada’s information regulators call on their respective governments to promote a more robust information ecosystem: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/news-releases/3047   OIPC / ORL Budget submission Fiscal years 2026/27 - 2028/29: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/budget-annual-report-service-plans/3037   OIPC Trust in the Age of Information 2025/26 - 2027/28 Strategic Plan: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/special-reports/3028   Protecting the privacy of children and youth through responsible use of educational technologies in the classroom: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/infographics/3051   Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/43rd-1stsession-fgs   Friday, November 21, 2025 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/43rdparliament-1stsession-fgs/meetings/3460   Includes: Annual Review of Statutory Offices of British Columbia: Three-year rolling service plans, annual report and budgetary estimates for fiscal years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner: https://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard-content/Committees/43rd1st/fgs/20251121am-Finance-Victoria-Blues.htm   Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Budget Submission, 2026/27: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19717/IPC_Budget-Submission_2026-2027_FGS.pdf  Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Budget Tables, 2026/27: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19719/IPC_Budget-Tables_2026-27_FGS.pdf  Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Annual Report, 2024/25: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19718/IPC_Annual-Report_2024-25_FGS.pdf   

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 29th.   This week, the national spotlight is squarely on children’s privacy and online safety. Advocates are renewing calls for federal action as harms escalate, from AI-driven manipulation to tragic failures in youth mental health information practices. And as families head into holiday shopping, experts warn that AI-powered toys may be creating new risks inside the home.  We’ll then turn to whistleblowers exposing accountability gaps inside universities and provincial systems… significant cyber findings from Alberta and Nova Scotia… and a series of access-to-information stories that show how transparency continues to reveal mismanagement across the country.  Internationally, a major court ruling against Meta could shape digital privacy across Europe. And in the United States, a sweeping investigation into predictive surveillance, AI regulation, and the pressure to release the Epstein files is raising urgent questions about civil liberties.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251129-access-and-privacy-online/ Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-48  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 22nd.   There’s a lot happening on the access and privacy front across Canada this week—especially at the local level.  We begin with two important reports about artificial intelligence: one municipal government adopting a responsible-use policy and another analysis warning that “shadow AI” is already posing silent risks inside Canada’s healthcare system.  We then turn to a major set of findings from provincial privacy watchdogs on the PowerSchool data breach—and a series of access and information-governance stories from across the country, including everything from flood-related FOI threats in Ontario to Manitoba’s struggling home-care system and a new privacy coordinator in Three Rivers.  From there, we shift to the United States, where three Associated Press investigations outline the escalating impacts of President Trump’s immigration and enforcement policies. And finally, we take a closer look at new AP reporting—supported by access requests—documenting a surge in Palestinian deaths inside Israeli custody.  One more note: Bill C-4 is now moving toward the Senate, and as politicians look to exempt themselves from Canada’s privacy laws, the personal information of Canadians is increasingly at risk. You’ll find links in the show notes to learn more and to make your voice heard.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251122-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-47  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 15th.   With most political attention still focused on Ottawa, it’s a lighter news week—but one that gives us sharp insight into privacy, transparency, and information sharing, both here at home and around the world.  We start with Local Journalism Initiative reporting from coast to coast: Newfoundland’s AI policies after a major education scandal; Alberta’s continued push for sovereignty, despite no planning for separation; and in B.C., how private security firms and Canada’s spy agency may be sharing information behind closed doors.  We’ll move through national stories involving federal data, economic espionage, and the unclear mandate of a new special envoy role.   Internationally, a major South African whistleblower avoids jail, Turkish prosecutors seek a 2,300-year sentence for data misuse, and German authorities arrest a man for publishing political hit lists.  And we wrap in the U.S. with stories about unintended consequences—from a major government data breach to state drivers’ information being shared with ICE without officials realizing it.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251115-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-46  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 8th.   It’s a big week in Ottawa—Information and Privacy Commissioners from across Canada have issued a joint resolution calling on governments to protect democracy through stronger access and information management.   We’ll also look at how access-to-information laws continue to shed light on federal decision-making, from foreign aid to digital sovereignty.  Then, in our Local Journalism Initiative round-up, we have access, accountability, and transparency stories across the country, from New Brunswick hospitals and Quebec’s non-profit cybersecurity efforts to Ontario’s autism program and a GM plant controversy in St. Catharines.  And internationally, new stories on privacy breaches, ransomware, and AI oversight—including a global doping scandal, the shutdown of a U.S. tax-filing system, and new moves to confront risks from artificial intelligence.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251108-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-45  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay   

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 1st.   We’ll lead with a troubling question about who Canada’s intelligence agencies are really working for—new documents reveal how lobbying from a major pipeline company opened the door for corporate access to national security intelligence.  We’ll follow with stories from the Local Journalism Initiative, where freedom-of-information requests continue to drive coverage across the country—from bridge disputes in Brant County to cyber safety in our schools and Alberta’s renewed fascination with the “hyperloop.”  Nationally, we’ll touch on a major cyberattack that’s left Nova Scotia contractors unpaid for months, new debate over bail reform, and growing concerns about how artificial intelligence is shaping the lives of Canadian youth.  Internationally, we look at how the U.S. government helped companies sell surveillance tech to China, new EU action against Meta and TikTok, and border changes that mean every traveler—including Canadians—will soon be photographed entering and leaving the United States.  And we’ll close with a FIPA update on the dangerous privacy implications of Bill C-4’s latest committee review—and how you can stay engaged.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251101-access-and-privacy-online  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-44  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, October 25th.   We’ll start with a group of Local Journalism Initiative stories that show how this initiative is regularly employing access and requests for information in their reporting.   We’ll follow that up with national reports that intersect access and privacy, including continuing fallout from the damning federal auditor's report that includes identification of poor federal cybersecurity and separate calls from national chiefs to deem First Nations policing essential.   We have two important reports informed by the actions of whistleblowers in healthcare from Ontario and Alberta.   And we wrap with our regular scan outside Canada’s borders.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251025-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-43  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay   

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, October 18th.   We’ll start on Canada’s national front with some big examples of access providing insight into this government’s reaction to international pressures. There are troubling actions from the nation's intelligence agency as they act without regard to privacy, plus one federal minister who seems prepared to give police even greater access to your personal information.    Then in our national scan of access and privacy stories from the provinces, we’ll have the latest from the PowerSchool breach that impacted primary education across the country and hear how one Conservative Party leader decided to invade the privacy of his caucus and how many of those caucus members willingly submitted to his investigation to stay in his good graces.   To wrap, we’ll travel south of the border and look at a California action to increase privacy to resist Trump’s immigration agenda, consider the most recent act to suppress press freedom, and hear about the latest political refugee fleeing the United States.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251018-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-42  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay   

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, October 11th.   It’s another big week on the privacy and access front.  We have important legislative updates—from Ottawa’s ongoing border bills to new reforms in New Brunswick and consumer protections in Quebec.  Across the provinces, the fallout continues over Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal, while privacy and surveillance make headlines from local hockey rinks to federal audits.  And finally, a brief look south of the border, where the Trump administration’s Justice Department is again under scrutiny—and the online safety of children faces renewed legal challenges.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251011-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-41  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/  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 and Feedly.  Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, October 4th.   It’s another big week on the privacy and access front. Nova Scotia has introduced new legislation that its commissioner warns may actually weaken transparency. We’ll follow that with access stories from across Canada, many powered by the Local Journalism Initiative.  On the privacy side, we’ll look at cases ranging from a high-profile banking breach to a local hockey livestream that’s raising surveillance concerns.  In the U.S., the slide toward autocracy continues—with lawsuits over voter data, federal rollbacks on worker rights, and even a lawsuit connecting Bass Pro Shops, Facebook, and Cambridge Analytica.  And internationally, tech giants face fresh scrutiny over unsafe online environments, Britain reels from more data breaches, Afghanistan experiences a nationwide internet blackout, and the Associated Press shines a spotlight on the exploitation of women in Gaza.  Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251004-access-and-privacy-online/  Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-40  Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to:  Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/   Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/