Access and Privacy Online

News Summary February 22nd, 2025

Coming up in your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 22nd. 

We lead with a troubling attack against government transparency and independent oversight in Nova Scotia.

We have a lot of coverage from the Local Journalism Initiative and news outlets across Canada, exploring stories where privacy and access to information shape important regional issues. We’ll also highlight a case where a public body in Ontario may be delaying compliance with an order from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

On the international front, we’ll look at U.S. legal and regulatory developments and wrap with a difficult but necessary conversation: a BC police force is going to court over secret chat groups, following a precedent set by the BC NDP to exempt private communications from elected officials under Freedom of Information laws.

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/20250222-access-and-privacy-online/

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-08/

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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

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay

Commentary: BC Municipal Disclosure of Records Report

In this week's commentary, we take a deeper dive into the Municipal disclosure of records investigative report from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC. 

Join me along with FIPA President Mike Larsen, and Executive Director Jason Woywada as we discuss the report's implications with BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey. 

BC OIPC Municipal Disclosure of Records Report:

• Municipal disclosure of records press release: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/news-releases/2917 

• Municipal disclosure of records: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/investigation-reports/2916 

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Send comments to FIPAOnline@fipa.bc.ca 

Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/  

Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/ 

News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly. 

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay  

News Summary February 15th , 2025

Coming up in your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 15th.

This week, we continue coverage of the PowerSchool Data Breach and its impact across Canada. But that's not all—other major stories in privacy and information management are making waves across the country and globally.

From government restrictions on AI chatbots to Canada's stance on a Ukraine peace deal, plus a deep dive into municipal disclosure of records, we’ve got it all covered.

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/20250215-access-and-privacy-online/

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-07

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating

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

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay

 

Commentary: Foreign Impacts on Data Sovereignty

In this week's commentary, foreign chaos is disrupting cybersecurity, privacy, and access to information. In this discussion, Jim Love from TechNewsday.ca, Professor Emeritus Colin Bennett from the University of Victoria, FIPA President Mike Larsen, and FIPA Executive Director Jason Woywada joined me to examine how global instability is challenging long-held assumptions about data security. 

Foreign impacts on data sovereignty:

• Judge weighs short-term block on Musk allies’ ability to share Treasury records outside the department: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/05/elon-musk-lawsuit-treasury-records-00202736  

• CDC Data Are Disappearing: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/01/cdc-dei-scientific-data/681531/  

• DOGE will allow Elon Musk to Surveil the US Government from the inside: https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk/  

• Musk team given access to sensitive federal payment system – reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77rkg5dm3vo 

• Elon Musk Can Now Access Your Personal Information: What You Need to Know: https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-doge-treasury-personal-info-2025230   

Jim Love @ TechNewsday.ca  

• Podcast home of Cybersecurity Today and Hashtag Trending: https://www.technewsday.com/podcast/ 

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating. 

Send comments to FIPAOnline@fipa.bc.ca 

Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/  

Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/ 

News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly. 

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay  

News Summary February 8th , 2025

Coming up in your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 8th. 

We continue to track the nationwide fallout from the PowerSchool data breaches in Canada. We'll also take a look at a recent phishing attack targeting a BC school district, highlighting ongoing risks to educational institutions. 

There’s a new report from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner on municipal record-keeping—a topic with significant implications for transparency and accountability.  

Internationally, we’ve got a packed show. Book bans in Canada and the U.S. are making headlines, with legal challenges brewing on both sides of the border. There’s also a major update on Italy blocking access to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI platform, over privacy concerns. And in the U.S., Trump-era decisions affecting government transparency and privacy rights are once again under scrutiny. 

We’ll close the show with excerpts from two FIPA Commentaries—one on Foreign Interference in Canadian Democracy and another on how global instability is reshaping cybersecurity, privacy, and information access. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/20250208-access-and-privacy-online/ 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-06/

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating. 

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. 

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

Commentary: Final Report on Foreign Interference

In this week's commentary, a deeper dive into the recommendations in the Final Report from The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions with FIPA President Mike Larsen. 

Commission Releases Final Report on Foreign Interference 

• https://foreigninterferencecommission.ca/news/article/commission-releases-final-report-on-foreign-interference 

Executive Summary of the Final Report (Volume 1) 

• https://foreigninterferencecommission.ca/fileadmin/report_volume_1.pdf 

Recommendations to Better Protect against Foreign interference in Canada’s Democratic Institutions and Processes (Volume 5) 

• https://foreigninterferencecommission.ca/fileadmin/report_volume_5.pdf 

FIPA Submission to 2024 Foreign Interference Commission 

• https://fipa.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240807-FIPA-Submission-to-Foreign-Interference-Commission.pdf 

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating

Send comments to FIPAOnline@fipa.bc.ca

Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/

Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/

News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly.

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay

News Summary February 1st, 2025

Coming up in your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 1st. 

In this week's show, we’ll start with the continued fallout from a U.S. cybersecurity data breach affecting schools across Canada. 

Then, we’ll explore major stories in Canada and the U.S., looking at how privacy and access to information laws impact and are impacted by recent events. 

And we’ll wrap up looking at the recommendations from the Final Report on Foreign Interference in Canada, including whether it adequately addresses concerns over political parties’ management of your personal information. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/20250201-access-and-privacy-online/

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-05/

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating. 

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. 

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay 

Commentary: Info Summit Commissioners Series Alberta Changes Event

In this week's commentary, the full recording of the Info Summit Commissioners Series Alberta Changes Event.  

Legislation: 

• Bill 33 Protection of Privacy Act 
• Bill 33 Amendment 
• Bill 34 Access to Information Act 
• Bill 34 Amendment 

Alberta OIPC 

• Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner calls for changes to new proposed public sector access and privacy legislation for Alberta 
• Letters from OIPC to Government of Alberta regarding Bills 33 and 34 – November 20, 2024 

Prior FIPA Commentaries 

• Nov 27 https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ecyiv-174add6 
• Dec 11 https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-6xs5j-176a8e8 

Follow FIPA on Eventbrite 

• https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/freedom-of-information-and-privacy-association-31215736215 

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating. 

Send comments to FIPAOnline@fipa.bc.ca 

Access and Privacy Commentary: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-commentary/  

Access and Privacy Online: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/podcasts/access-and-privacy-online/ 

News stories through the Canadian Press and Feedly. 

Available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes,  YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. ListenNotes,  Podchaser, Boomplay