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 — 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 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.
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Writing: Shaun Fisk | Production: Patrick Farnsworth | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder
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Full Show Links
FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4
- Bill C-4 Dashboard
- 20260212 FIPA Presentation to Senate LCJC
- Remarks of the Chief Electoral Officer before the LCJC
- Remarks for the Commissioner of Canada Elections for an appearance before the LCJC
- Privacy Commissioner recommends amendments to Bill C-4 to introduce privacy rules for political parties
- Statement by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Bill C-4
- Letter to the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-4, the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act
- BC OIPC Speech to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Senate of Canada
- Bill C-4 Part 4 Order Paper Question
Network Updates
- ICLMG raises concerns with the proposed regulations for the Foreign Influence Registry
Canadian Police in the Spotlight
- Ontario police watchdog announces provincewide police corruption probe
- Three Peel police officers suspended amid corruption, organized crime probe
- What we know about the Toronto police officers charged in a corruption investigation
- Toronto corruption case may be high-profile test of Ontario’s new police oversight
- Seven Toronto cops charged in corruption, organized crime investigation: York police
- Here are all the Toronto officers charged in a corruption and organized crime probe
- Ex- Regina police officer sentenced for using database to find, date, deceive women
Canadian Access Stories
- Prime Minister’s Office should be covered by access law, info commissioner tells MPs
- Does the N.W.T. need a child and youth advocate?
- Patrick Brown can’t explain how his pared down shell-game budget will be funded; 4.36% tax increase almost double the inflation rate
Canadian Privacy and Cyber Security
- Regulator plans two-part inquiry into last year’s cyberattack at N.S. utility
- N.S. utility says billing issues will be fixed in March — one year after cyberattack
- Nova Scotia Power names new CEO as cyberattack scrutiny continues
- Nova Scotia Power introduces new president and CEO as regulator readies for inquiries
- Supreme Court ruling sets out exception to confidentiality between lawyer and client
- Fighting Cancer, Facing Deportation and Denied Health Care
- City of Cold Lake council approves new artificial intelligence policy for municipal staff
- Manitoba government mulls grocery price measures as inflation continues
US Headlines
- Tennessee appeals court says school shooter’s writings can be made public
- Gabbard’s office warns attorney against sharing classified complaint with Congress
- Republicans reject complaint about Gabbard as Democrats question time it took to see it
- New Mexico lawsuit accuses Meta of failing to protect children from sexual exploitation online
- Ghislaine Maxwell appeals for clemency from Trump as she declines to answer questions from lawmakers
- Justice Department will allow lawmakers to see unredacted versions of released Epstein files
- Bondi clashes with Democrats as she struggles to turn the page on Epstein files furor
- Privacy activists call on California to remove covert license plate readers
- Republican lawmakers grill telecom officials over phone records access in Trump investigation
- Protesters in multiple states press Target to oppose the immigration crackdown in Minnesota
- House GOP pushes strict proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters ahead of midterm elections
- A privacy breach at the IRS: Taxpayer data wrongly shared with DHS, court filing says
Trump’s punitive actions impact Canadian Citizens
- Canadian ICC judge says Trump’s sanctions won’t stop her from doing her job
FIPA Updates
- FIPA at VIPSS 2026
- Access and Privacy Online in the Classroom