BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
20260516 Access and Privacy Online
Your Access and Privacy Online 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.
Let’s dive in.
Also available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Podchaser, Boomplay.
Writing: Shaun Fisk | Production: Patrick Farnsworth | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder
Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca
You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Full Show Links
FIPA Voter Privacy.ca
- House of Commons E-Petition
- Voterprivacy.ca
- Information misuse puts you at risk
Alberta Voters Data Breach
- More than 550 people accessed renegade voter list database: Elections Alberta
- Former Alberta premier Kenney changing security over privacy breach by separatists
- Smith says caucus executive director didn’t report voter list meeting to higher-ups
- Alberta rejects raise for elections chief dealing with unprecedented workload
- Scope of access to leaked Alberta voter list may be incomplete: Elections Alberta
- Separatist leader behind voter list leak unco-operative: Elections Alberta
- Alberta’s chief electoral officer wants pause on sharing electors list until law amended
- ‘Truly terrifying’: Alberta voter data breach raises fears for Canada’s electoral integrity
- Alberta voter list breach: Non-profit workers navigating own privacy concerns while simultaneously helping vulnerable
- What does the Elections Alberta voter information breach mean for your privacy?
- CSIS director says Alberta referendum vulnerable to foreign interference
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith granted security clearance for CSIS briefings
Network Update
- Information misuse puts you at risk
- FIPA Bill C-25 Submission to PROC
- Call to stop C-22 and protect your privacy!
- Bill to help authorities probe online activities raises widespread privacy fears
- Independents branded ‘NDP farm team’ for helping shut down FOI debate
- Why critics say changes to B.C.’s freedom of information law could make government less transparent
Connected Car Spotlight
- GM just paid a record penalty for breaking California privacy law
- Yes, those Chinese EVs will be spying on us — just like all the other cars already do
- FIPA 2015 The Connected Car
- The Connected Car: Who’s in the Driver’s Seat FAQs
- FIPA 2019 Update to ‘The Connected Car’
- A Privacy Code Practice for the Connected Car
Canvas Spotlight
- A Canvas outage tied to a cyberattack has wreaked havoc on colleges’ final exam season
- Canvas system is online after a cyberattack disrupted thousands of schools
- Cyberattack hits Canvas system used by thousands of schools as finals loom
- Mass cybersecurity breach of learning platform hits Canadian post-secondary schools
- Deal reached with hackers to delete data stolen from the Canvas educational platform
Canadian Privacy
- Newfoundland and Labrador report on PowerSchool hack warns about big tech
- Metrolinx Rolling Out Body Cameras Across GO Transit Network to Enhance Safety and Accountability
- Ontario clamps down on conservation authorities as consolidation planning continues
- Ontario auditor general finds problems with medical AI transcription tool
- Vancouver mayor uses ’11 AI agents’ to do lots of work, says it’s strictly personal
- Public deserves answers on Canada-China policing agreement, New Democrat MP says
- Privacy watchdog finds thousands of tax account breaches, urges stronger protections
Canadian Access
- Ottawa asks defence industry for options on replacements for aging tank fleet
- Federal government spent more than $800M on AI agreements over 3 years
- Ontario Liberal MPP Lee Fairclough enters party’s nascent leadership race
- NOTL Votes 2026: Weston Miller wants to bring ‘resident-first’ leadership
- The Lake Report – https://lakereport.ca/
- Wheatland County to adopt new fire dispatch service provider, local concerns raised
International Privacy and Access
- Community-built map tracks ICE activity across Tucson, Arizona
- French prosecutors seek charges against Elon Musk and X over child sexual abuse images
- One Tech Tip: Why digital devices and online accounts need spring cleaning
- Meta launches WhatsApp ‘incognito’ mode to address privacy concerns for AI chats
- FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem
Other FIPA Updates
- Access and Privacy Online in the Classroom
Your Access and Privacy Online 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.
Let’s dive in.
Also available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Podchaser, Boomplay.
Writing: Shaun Fisk | Production: Patrick Farnsworth | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder
Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca
You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Full Show Links
FIPA Voter Privacy.ca
- House of Commons E-Petition
- Voterprivacy.ca
- Information misuse puts you at risk
Alberta Voters Data Breach
- More than 550 people accessed renegade voter list database: Elections Alberta
- Former Alberta premier Kenney changing security over privacy breach by separatists
- Smith says caucus executive director didn’t report voter list meeting to higher-ups
- Alberta rejects raise for elections chief dealing with unprecedented workload
- Scope of access to leaked Alberta voter list may be incomplete: Elections Alberta
- Separatist leader behind voter list leak unco-operative: Elections Alberta
- Alberta’s chief electoral officer wants pause on sharing electors list until law amended
- ‘Truly terrifying’: Alberta voter data breach raises fears for Canada’s electoral integrity
- Alberta voter list breach: Non-profit workers navigating own privacy concerns while simultaneously helping vulnerable
- What does the Elections Alberta voter information breach mean for your privacy?
- CSIS director says Alberta referendum vulnerable to foreign interference
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith granted security clearance for CSIS briefings
Network Update
- Information misuse puts you at risk
- FIPA Bill C-25 Submission to PROC
- Call to stop C-22 and protect your privacy!
- Bill to help authorities probe online activities raises widespread privacy fears
- Independents branded ‘NDP farm team’ for helping shut down FOI debate
- Why critics say changes to B.C.’s freedom of information law could make government less transparent
Connected Car Spotlight
- GM just paid a record penalty for breaking California privacy law
- Yes, those Chinese EVs will be spying on us — just like all the other cars already do
- FIPA 2015 The Connected Car
- The Connected Car: Who’s in the Driver’s Seat FAQs
- FIPA 2019 Update to ‘The Connected Car’
- A Privacy Code Practice for the Connected Car
Canvas Spotlight
- A Canvas outage tied to a cyberattack has wreaked havoc on colleges’ final exam season
- Canvas system is online after a cyberattack disrupted thousands of schools
- Cyberattack hits Canvas system used by thousands of schools as finals loom
- Mass cybersecurity breach of learning platform hits Canadian post-secondary schools
- Deal reached with hackers to delete data stolen from the Canvas educational platform
Canadian Privacy
- Newfoundland and Labrador report on PowerSchool hack warns about big tech
- Metrolinx Rolling Out Body Cameras Across GO Transit Network to Enhance Safety and Accountability
- Ontario clamps down on conservation authorities as consolidation planning continues
- Ontario auditor general finds problems with medical AI transcription tool
- Vancouver mayor uses ’11 AI agents’ to do lots of work, says it’s strictly personal
- Public deserves answers on Canada-China policing agreement, New Democrat MP says
- Privacy watchdog finds thousands of tax account breaches, urges stronger protections
Canadian Access
- Ottawa asks defence industry for options on replacements for aging tank fleet
- Federal government spent more than $800M on AI agreements over 3 years
- Ontario Liberal MPP Lee Fairclough enters party’s nascent leadership race
- NOTL Votes 2026: Weston Miller wants to bring ‘resident-first’ leadership
- The Lake Report – https://lakereport.ca/
- Wheatland County to adopt new fire dispatch service provider, local concerns raised
International Privacy and Access
- Community-built map tracks ICE activity across Tucson, Arizona
- French prosecutors seek charges against Elon Musk and X over child sexual abuse images
- One Tech Tip: Why digital devices and online accounts need spring cleaning
- Meta launches WhatsApp ‘incognito’ mode to address privacy concerns for AI chats
- FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem
Other FIPA Updates
- Access and Privacy Online in the Classroom