Access and Privacy Online

BC Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey returns to Access and Privacy Online to speak with FIPA President Mike Larsen, Executive Director Jason Woywada, and producer Patrick Farnsworth. Here is a brief segment of our interview. 

The province of BC recently released their Report on the Administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for 2024/25. The numbers show requests dropping, costs going up, and complaints increasing. We ask the commissioner to give us his take on what those mean. 

Be sure to check back for the full interview, which goes online in the week ahead.  

Support these efforts by subscribing or donating. 

Send comments to FIPAOnline@fipa.bc.ca 

Access and Privacy Commentaries: 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. 

• Report on the Administration of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2024/25: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/initiatives-plans-strategies/open-government/open-information/annual_report_on_the_administration_of_foippa_fy_24-25.pdf 

• Are People Losing Trust in BC’s FOI System?: https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/11/07/Are-People-Losing-Trust-BC-FOI-System/  

• Canada’s information regulators call on their respective governments to promote a more robust information ecosystem: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/news-releases/3047  

• OIPC / ORL Budget submission Fiscal years 2026/27 - 2028/29: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/budget-annual-report-service-plans/3037  

• OIPC Trust in the Age of Information 2025/26 - 2027/28 Strategic Plan: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/special-reports/3028  

• Protecting the privacy of children and youth through responsible use of educational technologies in the classroom: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/infographics/3051  

• Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/43rd-1stsession-fgs  

• Friday, November 21, 2025 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/43rdparliament-1stsession-fgs/meetings/3460  

• Includes: Annual Review of Statutory Offices of British Columbia: Three-year rolling service plans, annual report and budgetary estimates for fiscal years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner: https://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard-content/Committees/43rd1st/fgs/20251121am-Finance-Victoria-Blues.htm  

• Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Budget Submission, 2026/27: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19717/IPC_Budget-Submission_2026-2027_FGS.pdf 

• Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Budget Tables, 2026/27: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19719/IPC_Budget-Tables_2026-27_FGS.pdf 

• Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner, Annual Report, 2024/25: https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/19718/IPC_Annual-Report_2024-25_FGS.pdf 

 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 29th.  

This week, the national spotlight is squarely on children’s privacy and online safety. Advocates are renewing calls for federal action as harms escalate, from AI-driven manipulation to tragic failures in youth mental health information practices. And as families head into holiday shopping, experts warn that AI-powered toys may be creating new risks inside the home. 

We’ll then turn to whistleblowers exposing accountability gaps inside universities and provincial systems… significant cyber findings from Alberta and Nova Scotia… and a series of access-to-information stories that show how transparency continues to reveal mismanagement across the country. 

Internationally, a major court ruling against Meta could shape digital privacy across Europe. And in the United States, a sweeping investigation into predictive surveillance, AI regulation, and the pressure to release the Epstein files is raising urgent questions about civil liberties. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251129-access-and-privacy-online/

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-48 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 22nd.  

There’s a lot happening on the access and privacy front across Canada this week—especially at the local level. 

We begin with two important reports about artificial intelligence: one municipal government adopting a responsible-use policy and another analysis warning that “shadow AI” is already posing silent risks inside Canada’s healthcare system. 

We then turn to a major set of findings from provincial privacy watchdogs on the PowerSchool data breach—and a series of access and information-governance stories from across the country, including everything from flood-related FOI threats in Ontario to Manitoba’s struggling home-care system and a new privacy coordinator in Three Rivers. 

From there, we shift to the United States, where three Associated Press investigations outline the escalating impacts of President Trump’s immigration and enforcement policies. And finally, we take a closer look at new AP reporting—supported by access requests—documenting a surge in Palestinian deaths inside Israeli custody. 

One more note: Bill C-4 is now moving toward the Senate, and as politicians look to exempt themselves from Canada’s privacy laws, the personal information of Canadians is increasingly at risk. You’ll find links in the show notes to learn more and to make your voice heard. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251122-access-and-privacy-online/ 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-47 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 15th.  

With most political attention still focused on Ottawa, it’s a lighter news week—but one that gives us sharp insight into privacy, transparency, and information sharing, both here at home and around the world. 

We start with Local Journalism Initiative reporting from coast to coast: Newfoundland’s AI policies after a major education scandal; Alberta’s continued push for sovereignty, despite no planning for separation; and in B.C., how private security firms and Canada’s spy agency may be sharing information behind closed doors. 

We’ll move through national stories involving federal data, economic espionage, and the unclear mandate of a new special envoy role.  

Internationally, a major South African whistleblower avoids jail, Turkish prosecutors seek a 2,300-year sentence for data misuse, and German authorities arrest a man for publishing political hit lists. 

And we wrap in the U.S. with stories about unintended consequences—from a major government data breach to state drivers’ information being shared with ICE without officials realizing it. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251115-access-and-privacy-online/ 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-46 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 8th.  

It’s a big week in Ottawa—Information and Privacy Commissioners from across Canada have issued a joint resolution calling on governments to protect democracy through stronger access and information management.  

We’ll also look at how access-to-information laws continue to shed light on federal decision-making, from foreign aid to digital sovereignty. 

Then, in our Local Journalism Initiative round-up, we have access, accountability, and transparency stories across the country, from New Brunswick hospitals and Quebec’s non-profit cybersecurity efforts to Ontario’s autism program and a GM plant controversy in St. Catharines. 

And internationally, new stories on privacy breaches, ransomware, and AI oversight—including a global doping scandal, the shutdown of a U.S. tax-filing system, and new moves to confront risks from artificial intelligence. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251108-access-and-privacy-online/ 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-45 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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 

 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 1st.  

We’ll lead with a troubling question about who Canada’s intelligence agencies are really working for—new documents reveal how lobbying from a major pipeline company opened the door for corporate access to national security intelligence. 

We’ll follow with stories from the Local Journalism Initiative, where freedom-of-information requests continue to drive coverage across the country—from bridge disputes in Brant County to cyber safety in our schools and Alberta’s renewed fascination with the “hyperloop.” 

Nationally, we’ll touch on a major cyberattack that’s left Nova Scotia contractors unpaid for months, new debate over bail reform, and growing concerns about how artificial intelligence is shaping the lives of Canadian youth. 

Internationally, we look at how the U.S. government helped companies sell surveillance tech to China, new EU action against Meta and TikTok, and border changes that mean every traveler—including Canadians—will soon be photographed entering and leaving the United States. 

And we’ll close with a FIPA update on the dangerous privacy implications of Bill C-4’s latest committee review—and how you can stay engaged. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251101-access-and-privacy-online 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-44 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, October 25th.  

We’ll start with a group of Local Journalism Initiative stories that show how this initiative is regularly employing access and requests for information in their reporting.  

We’ll follow that up with national reports that intersect access and privacy, including continuing fallout from the damning federal auditor's report that includes identification of poor federal cybersecurity and separate calls from national chiefs to deem First Nations policing essential.  

We have two important reports informed by the actions of whistleblowers in healthcare from Ontario and Alberta.  

And we wrap with our regular scan outside Canada’s borders. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251025-access-and-privacy-online/ 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-43 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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 

 

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, October 18th.  

We’ll start on Canada’s national front with some big examples of access providing insight into this government’s reaction to international pressures. There are troubling actions from the nation's intelligence agency as they act without regard to privacy, plus one federal minister who seems prepared to give police even greater access to your personal information.   

Then in our national scan of access and privacy stories from the provinces, we’ll have the latest from the PowerSchool breach that impacted primary education across the country and hear how one Conservative Party leader decided to invade the privacy of his caucus and how many of those caucus members willingly submitted to his investigation to stay in his good graces.  

To wrap, we’ll travel south of the border and look at a California action to increase privacy to resist Trump’s immigration agenda, consider the most recent act to suppress press freedom, and hear about the latest political refugee fleeing the United States. 

Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20251018-access-and-privacy-online/ 

Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2025-season-episode-42 

Protect your rights, Canadian MPs need to: 

Stop Bill C-2 https://iclmg.ca/stop-bill-c-2/  

Stop Bill C-4 Part 4 https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/ 

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