News Summary March 7th, 2026

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/ 

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Send comments to FIPAOnline@fipa.bc.ca 

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. 

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