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:

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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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