One Part Cyber, All Parts Security

Federal and provincial privacy regulators have concluded a multi-year investigation into OpenAI's data practices, finding contraventions of Canadian privacy legislation in how personal information was collected and used...

The Canadian market is ripe with opportunities for U.S. companies seeking to expand beyond domestic borders. Before diving in, however, it can be helpful to have a basic understanding of Canada's legal system...

These regulations, which include fines of up to $100,000CAD for non-compliance, will come into force on November 1, 2018.

Canada's privacy regulator has released new draft guidance establishing comprehensive due diligence standards for organizations evaluating third-party service providers under PIPEDA. The framework introduces eleven best practices covering everything from data flow mapping and AI training data sourcing to vendor lock-in risks and ongoing monitoring obligations, signaling heightened expectations for privacy accountability in vendor relationships.

Canada's federal government has introduced Bill C-36, marking a significant departure from its predecessor Bill C-27 by unbundling AI regulation from privacy reform and establishing a new regulatory framework centered...

Canada's proposed Bill C-36 introduces sweeping reforms to private sector privacy law, replacing PIPEDA with the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act.

Canada's proposed Bill C-36 would fundamentally transform private-sector privacy law by replacing PIPEDA with the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act. Organizations face stricter data collection tests, new consent exceptions, explicit AI governance rules, and penalties reaching $25 million or 5% of global revenue for knowing violations.

Recent amendments to Ontario's freedom of information laws have sparked controversy by creating exceptions for ministerial records, while the federal government introduces sweeping privacy legislation...

Parties to the proposed class action in California over Adobe Systems Inc.’s alleged failure to safeguard clients’ data from a breach that compromised more than 3 million credit card records reached an agreement to settle.

Canadian privacy regulators have released their landmark joint investigation findings on OpenAI's ChatGPT, examining how the company collected personal information to train its AI models.

British Columbia's snap election on October 24, 2026, brings unprecedented compliance challenges for businesses seeking to engage in policy discussions. With some of Canada's strictest lobbying rules, stringent election financing laws, and new foreign influence regulations all converging during the campaign period, organizations must navigate a complex web of registration requirements, spending caps, and reporting obligations while avoiding significant legal and reputational risks.

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), on behalf of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), recently granted ZED Network Inc.

Canada has announced C$27.6-billion in counter-tariffs on U.S. imports, effective September 8, 2026, targeting over 700 product classifications across steel, aluminum, dairy, electronics, and other sectors. The measures represent a dollar-for-dollar response to U.S. Section 338 tariffs, with rates ranging from 15% to 50% depending on the product category. The government has also introduced a C$7.5-billion support package for affected Canadian workers and businesses.

Le 29 août 2026, Environnement et Changement climatique Canada a publié deux avis obligeant certaines entreprises ayant fabriqué, importé ou utilisé 200 substances spécifiques en 2025 à déclarer des renseignements détaillés. Ces exigences de déclaration s'appliquent largement aux importateurs, fabricants et utilisateurs de produits contenant ces substances, avec des seuils quantitatifs et des échéances strictes à respecter.

The issue of whether compensation should be paid to Canadian local over-the-air (OTA) television stations by the broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) (e.g., cable, direct-to-home satellite) that distribute the television stations’ programs has been the subject of discussion for many years and, more recently, was the subject of a proceeding before the industry’s regulatory body, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC, the Commission).

Ontario's Ministry of Energy and Mines has proposed exempting electricity transmission projects procured by the Independent Electricity System Operator from the traditional leave to construct approval requirement. This regulatory change could significantly streamline the development timeline for bulk system transmission infrastructure, including the pending Toronto Third Line procurement, while maintaining environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation requirements.

On September 24, 2026, the Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced it had entered into a consent agreement with Kalibrate Canada Inc. (Kalibrate) to address concerns regarding Kalibrate’s collection and distribution of detailed retail fuel data through its Kalibrate Market Intelligence product (KMI). More broadly, the matter signals the Bureau’s willingness to challenge information-sharing arrangements under multiple provisions of the Competition Act (Act), including through abuse of dominance where the intermediary itself is alleged to be dominant.

Canadian M&A activity rose once again in 2016, surpassing a record-breaking 2015 to become the most active year in Canadian deal-making history.

Blakes' Competition and Foreign Investment groups provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments in Canadian competition law and foreign investment, including the Competition Bureau's activities, merger reviews, and key regulatory updates. The newsletter highlights significant enforcement actions, including the Bureau's challenge to Nortera Food Inc.'s proposed acquisition and the federal government's national security reviews of foreign investments.

On July 24, 2007, the Competition Bureau announced that it would not challenge the merger of Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Incorporated. The Bureau considered the competitive impact of the transaction on the markets for softwood lumber, market pulp, wood chips, roundwood/logs, newsprint, and uncoated groundwood paper