Bill C-4 brief Bill C-4 An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure was introduced on June 5th 2025. This Finance bill’s other measure is a series of amendments to the Canada Election Act in Part 4. Part 4 of Bill C-4 is a direct attack on the privacy of Canadians. It […]

Here are a few items you can use to make sure people know what is taking place. If you have something for us to add drop us a line. Our C-4 Mailer Help Stop Bill C-4 Part 4  Members of Parliament are putting their political interests ahead of your rights.  Democracy depends on open dialogue. That requires you to […]

Your Access and Privacy Online 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 […]

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for January 15th, our first of 2026.  After the holiday break, there’s a lot to catch up on. Across Canada and internationally, we’re seeing 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

In this Commentary, 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 […]

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 […]

FIPA is sharing a preliminary report of our efforts to study freedom of information (FOI) in BC.  Since late 2022, FIPA has been engaged on a research project that uses documents obtained through FOI requests to piece together how FOI requests are processed. We collected data from every public body subject to both the Freedom of Information Act and Protection […]

The information below links to the requests made, the public bodies who received them, and the release package FIPA received in response. Broader Public Sector 2024 BC Broader Public Sector Requests Core Government 2024 BC Core Government Requests Note: The data for this work is based on research conducted for FIPA’s larger project Access Regimes: Social […]

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 […]

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 22nd.   There’s a lot of action on the access and privacy front across Canada at local levels  We lead with two reports that shed light on Artificial intelligence policies and threats. With another example of a local council passing an AI policy, and another report highlighting […]