Access and Privacy Online

By Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA)

The Freedom of Information and Privacy Association brings you this weekly roundup of the news stories in the information management field.... more

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FAQs about Access and Privacy Online:

How many episodes does Access and Privacy Online have?

The podcast currently has 122 episodes available.

Access and Privacy Online episodes:

February 21, 2026News Summary February 21st, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 21st.
This week, the Senate delivers a significant report on Bill C-4, Part 4, with a majority of committee members warning that the proposed political party privacy regime falls far short of minimum standards—and recommending that it be removed, severed, or sunset.
We’re also tracking how access-to-information requests continue to expose accountability gaps—from more than 1,500 Canadians serving in the Israeli military to unanswered questions about how many patients are overdosing inside B.C. hospitals.
At the local level, we look at environmental enforcement concerns in Kahnawà:ke, farmland preservation battles in Ontario, and record deficits in New Brunswick.
And internationally, voter data seizures, police database abuse, AI identity disputes, and even iPhone security features are raising urgent questions about how personal information is protected—or misused.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260221-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-08
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/
Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/
Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/
Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/
Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
17min
February 17, 2026Commentary: Bill C-4 Special Edition
This is a special edition of Access and Privacy Online, bringing you an update on the Senate hearings into Bill C-4, Part 4.
Over the past week, Senators have heard unified testimony from privacy regulators, civil society leaders, and academic experts—all warning that Part 4 weakens Canadians’ privacy rights rather than strengthening them.
Today, we’ll walk through what happened, what tools are being used to hold government accountable, and what comes next. As usual, you can find all the supporting material in our show notes.
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.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/202402-fipa-commentary-bill-c-4-special-edition
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-07
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/
Bill C-4 Part 4 Senate: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-in-the-senate/
Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
15min
February 14, 2026News Summary February 14th, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 14th.
This week, 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 recording, Bill C-4 remains before a Senate committee. It’s not too late to make your voice heard. We’ll bring you more next week—and you can find details in the show notes.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260214-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-07
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/
Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/
Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/
Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/
Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
23min
February 07, 2026News Summary February 7th, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, February 7th.
This week, access-to-information requests continue to expose deep accountability gaps—from millions in executive bonuses paid despite missed federal performance targets, to Alberta municipalities left carrying hundreds of millions in unpaid oil and gas taxes.
We’re also looking at how transparency failures intersect with human harm—whether that's labor trafficking hidden inside Canada’s temporary worker programs or privacy breakdowns affecting seniors, victims of crime, and students navigating AI in the classroom.
Internationally, Europe is taking some big steps—there's a raid of a major tech platform and evidence they are walking away from U.S.-based digital infrastructure in the name of privacy and sovereignty.
And in the United States, we’re tracking the growing consequences of surveillance-driven immigration enforcement, weak redaction practices, and the erosion of oversight norms.
Late breaking this week: Bill C-4, Part 4, is heading toward a unique Senate committee. It is not too late to contact Senators or your MP. You’ll find links in the show notes, and we'll be following developments closely.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260207-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-06
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/
Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/
Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/
Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/
Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
19min
January 31, 2026News Summary January 31st, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, January 31st.
This week, artificial intelligence is colliding with privacy, democracy, and public trust—from Google’s move to fold personal data directly into AI-powered search to renewed federal plans for an online harms bill that could reshape how Canadians, especially children, experience the internet.
We’re also tracking how access-to-information requests continue to reveal gaps in accountability, from policing and municipal spending to environmental protection, while privacy failures—inside police forces, public utilities, and care homes—raise urgent questions about oversight and transparency.
And in the United States, we’ll look at platform power, data breaches, voter privacy, and what happens when democratic processes slip out of public view.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260131-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-05
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/
Send a message to members of parliament: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-mps/
Send a message to Senators: https://fipa.bc.ca/c-4-email-to-senators/
Bill C-4 Resources: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-resources/
Donate to Help Us Reach More Canadians: https://fipa.bc.ca/pr/donate-c4/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
21min
January 24, 2026News Summary January 24th, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, January 24th.
This week, we’re tracking a sharp escalation in surveillance and enforcement powers—from a B.C. municipality openly challenging a privacy watchdog’s authority to U.S. immigration officers asserting the right to enter homes without a judge’s warrant.
We’re also looking at how access-to-information requests continue to expose gaps in oversight—whether that’s contaminated land in Ontario, the limits of Canada’s whistleblower protections, or the growing pressure on public transparency as AI, trade, and national security collide.
And internationally, we’ll examine how internet shutdowns and connected-car technologies are reshaping privacy and access to information far beyond Canada’s borders.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260124-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-04
FIPA Bill C-4
UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/
FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/
Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
22min
January 17, 2026News Summary January 17th, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, January 17th.
We’re starting the year with a heavy focus on access to information and what happens when transparency fails or is actively resisted.
This week, access requests uncover troubling gaps in domestic-violence prosecutions in Nunavut, reveal why a Parks Canada boat ban blindsided communities in Manitoba, and expose how billions of public dollars tied to Brampton’s electric-bus plans remain almost entirely redacted.
We’ll also look at growing privacy concerns—from Manitoba’s new digital ID wallet to failures in protecting tenants’ personal information—and whistleblower-driven stories involving police misconduct and university governance.
Then, we turn south, where the Trump administration is again testing the limits of federal power—using funding threats, data demands, and political pressure in ways that raise serious privacy and democratic concerns.
And finally, from CES, a cautionary look at how AI-powered consumer devices are collecting more personal data than ever—often with little oversight.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260117-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-03
FIPA Bill C-4:
UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/
FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/
Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
21min
January 15, 2026News Summary January 15th, 2026
This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Thursday, January 15th—our first News Summary of 2026.
After the holiday break, there’s a lot to catch up on. Across Canada and internationally, familiar themes re-emerge: data breaches with unresolved accountability, governments struggling to balance security, privacy, and transparency, and growing pressure to define how artificial intelligence is governed—or not governed—in practice.
We’ll start in Nova Scotia, where the fallout from a major data breach is colliding with electricity rate hikes and renewed debate over access-to-information law. Then we’ll move through Canadian privacy and access stories shaped by FOI requests before turning to international developments involving Big Tech, AI misuse, and whistleblower protections.
Show Notes: https://fipa.bc.ca/nm/20260115-access-and-privacy-online
Individual Stories: https://fipa.bc.ca/tag/2026-season-episode-02
FIPA Bill C-4
UPDATED Call to Action: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-2025/
FIPA Bill C-4 Part 4 Dashboard: https://fipa.bc.ca/fipa-bill-c-4-part-4-dashboard/
Bill C-4 Part 4 line-by-line and brief: https://fipa.bc.ca/bill-c-4-part-4-line-by-line-and-brief/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
14min
January 07, 2026 Commentary: Reviewing 2025, Preparing for 2026
In this commentary, we have a special end-of-year commentary among FIPA contributors.
Tune in to hear our discussion between FIPA President Mike Larsen and Executive Director Jason Woywada as we discuss the year that was and the year ahead.
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
35min
January 01, 2026Commentary: Inside FOI and 2025 Access Assessment Preliminary Report
In this commentary, we have a special end-of-year commentary among FIPA contributors.
Tune in to hear our discussion between producer Patrick Farnsworth, FIPA researcher Spencer Izen, and Executive Director Jason Woywada as they discuss Spencer’s work and research with the preliminary report from his access assessments.
2025 Access Assessment Preliminary Report: https://fipa.bc.ca/aa/preliminary-report-2025/
Access Regimes: Social Studies of Recordkeeping, Bureaucracy, and Secrecy under Freedom of Information Law: https://osf.io/n2xmu/overview
BC Broader Public Sector Requests: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/2024-bc-broader-public-sector-requests/
BC Core Government Requests: https://fipa.bc.ca/research-resources/2024-bc-core-government-requests/
Access Assessment Release Packages: https://fipa.bc.ca/aa/2025-release-packages/
Reporting
What’s the ‘black box’ of B.C.’s freedom of information systems? Watchdog study shining light on little-understood process: https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/whats-the-black-box-of-bcs-freedom-of-information-systems-watchdog-study-shining-light-on-little-understood-process/
Support these efforts by subscribing or donating.
Send comments to [email protected]
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
...more
39min

FAQs about Access and Privacy Online:

How many episodes does Access and Privacy Online have?

The podcast currently has 122 episodes available.