Part 4 of Bill C-4 is a direct attack on the privacy of Canadians. 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. It gives federal political parties the power to collect […]

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 […]

Latest Update Feb 18, 2026 Report of the committee webpage – pdf Senate Standing Committee Legal and Constitutional Affairs The subject matter of Part 4 of Bill C-4, An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure. Order of Reference: 2026-02-05 Briefs and Other Documents Feb 12, 2026 10:30 a.m. ET Feb 12, 2026 01:30 p.m. ET […]

Your Access and Privacy Online News Summary for Saturday, February 14th. Bill C-4 was the focus of our attention this week. We’ll have a brief update here with links in the show notes and a special edition to come. On top of that 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 […]

FIPA at Committee FIPA requested and was granted the opportunity to present to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (LCJC) in The subject matter of Part 4 of Bill C-4, An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure. FIPA Executive director Jason Woywada appeared in committee via video conference […]

A written question on the Order Paper Access to information is about more than access requests. Given the impact of Bill C-4 Part 4 we thought it prudent to employ every tool at our disposal. Appearing on the House of Commons Notice Paper No. 84 and Order Paper and Notice Paper No. 85 is an […]

Your Access and Privacy Online News Summary for Saturday, February 7th. 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. We’ll be following developments closely.  This week, access-to-information requests continue to expose deep accountability gaps. From millions in […]

One of the goals behind Access & Privacy Online has always been practical: to surface significant access to information and privacy stories as they unfold. The podcast was designed as a monitoring and learning tool, helping listeners track developments across Canada and internationally, and understand how those stories connect to broader questions of accountability, surveillance, […]

March 3rd to 5th 2026 sees FIPA at the 28th Annual Victoria International Privacy & Security Summit (VIPSS). The theme of this year’s summit is, “Trust, Transparency & Transformation: Governing Artificial Intelligence“. If you’re responsible for digital trust, security, privacy, governance or leadership – VIPSS 2026 is where you need to be. We’re back in force […]

Your Access and Privacy Online 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 […]

Following widespread criticism of various aspects of Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, the government introduced Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, in October 2025. Although presented as a solution, C-12 fails to answer any of those concerns. Instead, it only serves to fast-track provisions undermining the rights of refugees and migrants, while allowing […]

Your Access and Privacy Online 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 […]