Michael Geist
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mgeist.bsky.social
Michael Geist
@mgeist.bsky.social
5.4K followers 450 following 530 posts
Law Professor, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa
www.michaelgeist.ca
Law Bytes Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5iDUCcDrkzGai0OdTgoucv
http://mgeist.substack.com
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mgeist.bsky.social
How can Canada’s AI strategy navigate competing policy objectives and ensure effective transparency? Where to land on AI regulation? My Law Bytes podcast this week reviews my AI consultation submission and committee appearance on AI and the cultural sector.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/11/the-...
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 249: The Debate Over Canada’s AI Strategy - My Consultation Submission and Appearance at the Canadian Heritage Committee - Michael Geist
The government’s AI consultation concluded at the end of October with expectations that a strategy will emerge before the end of the year. I participated in the consultation with a brief submission an...
www.michaelgeist.ca
November 10, 2025 at 2:10 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Politico Canada reports that the government is changing its approach on online harms legislation with plans to break up the former Bill C-63 into smaller pieces with shared responsibility among several government departments.
November 7, 2025 at 3:46 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Despite warnings from the Commissioner of Elections and Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the Liberals and Conservatives have been quietly working to pass Bill C-4, exempting themselves from privacy law imposed on others and undermining privacy rights of Canadians.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/11/how-...
How the Liberal and Conservative Parties Have Quietly Colluded to Undermine the Privacy Rights of Canadians - Michael Geist
It hasn’t received much attention, but the government and official opposition - ie. the Liberals and Conservatives - have been quietly working to pass legislation that undermine the privacy rights of ...
www.michaelgeist.ca
November 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Lost in Budget 2025 is that the government promised a data mobility right in PIPEDA. This comes at same time that AI Minister Evan Solomon has said he will lead on a new privacy bill in Canada. Is the privacy reform a new bill (as in C-27) or tweaks to PIPEDA?
budget.canada.ca/2025/report-...
November 5, 2025 at 7:28 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
My thread on the digital aspects of Budget 2025 including AI, stablecoins, copyright reform, IP commercialization, and fixing a privacy error. No reference to actual privacy reform though.
bsky.app/profile/mgei...
mgeist.bsky.social Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 6d
Canadian federal budget is out. Five of the digital policy issues to note: First, the government announces a series of new measures focused on intellectual property with an emphasis on businesses using and commercializing IP.
budget.canada.ca/2025/report-...
November 5, 2025 at 2:23 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Canadian government departments are big believers that AI will be the source of reducing expenses. Finance, Justice, CRTC, Fisheries, CRA, ESDC all cite new efficiencies from AI to explain how they will meet the 15% spending reduction target in the budget.
November 4, 2025 at 9:50 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Canadian federal budget is out. Five of the digital policy issues to note: First, the government announces a series of new measures focused on intellectual property with an emphasis on businesses using and commercializing IP.
budget.canada.ca/2025/report-...
November 4, 2025 at 9:28 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 248: Mozilla President Mark Surman on Why Canada’s AI Strategy Should Prioritize Public AI Models
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/11/the-...
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 248: Mark Surman on Why Canada's AI Strategy Should Prioritize Public AI Models - Michael Geist
AI Minister Evan Solomon’s AI public consultation – framed as a 30 day sprint – wrapped up last week with expectations that the government will unveil a new AI strategy by the end of the year. Much of...
www.michaelgeist.ca
November 3, 2025 at 2:26 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
We Need More Canada in the Training Data: My Appearance Before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on AI and the Creative Sector
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/we-n...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfE...
Michael Geist appearance before Heritage Committee on AI and the Creative Sector
YouTube video by Michael Geist
www.youtube.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:07 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Last week I appeared before Senate committee on Bill S-209, warning of overbroad scope that treats social media and generative AI as pornography sites, privacy risks of age verification, and site blocking. This week’s Law Bytes podcast goes inside the hearing room
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/the-...
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 247: My Senate Appearance on the Bill That Could Lead to Canada-Wide Blocking of X, Reddit and ChatGPT - Michael Geist
Bill S-209, the legislative effort to establish age verification requirements for sites and services that are said to facilitate access to pornography, is back. The bill has some modest improvements f...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 27, 2025 at 1:49 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
CSIS is surprised new warrantless access to personal information from any provider of a service in Canada - everything from telcos to car rental companies - led to some pushback?! This lawful access plan needs much more than more than just more “precision”.
nationalpost.com/news/politic...
CSIS says new warrantless powers need more 'precision,' 'surprised' by border bill pushback
If C-2 passes intact, law enforcement would be able to compel any service provider to say if they’ve served an individual.
nationalpost.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:31 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Stablecoins are attracting growing attention with regulatory rules that are more supportive of their development. What are stablecoins and how are they regulated? Where does Canada stand on the issue? Mohamed Zohiri joins my Law Bytes podcast to discuss.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/law-...
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 246: Mohamed Zohiri on the Rise and Emerging Regulation of Stablecoins - Michael Geist
Stablecoins have increasingly begun to enter the mainstream with previously reticent policy makers, regulators, and financial institutions now shifting toward regulatory frameworks that seem more supp...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 20, 2025 at 1:51 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
At a time when data sovereignty is top of mind, it is astonishing that Senate Bill S-209 envisions requiring millions of Canadians to provide government IDs to foreign entities for age verification in order to access social media sites and AI services.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/sena...
Senate Bill Would Grant Government Regulatory Power to Mandate Age Verification For Search, Social Media and AI Services Accompanied By Threat of Court Ordered Blocking of Lawful Content - Michael Gei...
The return of mandated age verification legislation in the Senate - formerly Bill S-210 and now S-209 - has been working its way through a Senate committee with a wide range of witnesses appearing ove...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 15, 2025 at 6:58 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Bill S-209 grants government unprecedented power to condition access to lawful websites in Canada with age verification requirements. Non-compliance leads to penalties and site blocking. Senator @jmivilledechene.bsky.social confirms covers more than adult websites
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/sena...
Senate Bill Would Grant Government Regulatory Power to Mandate Age Verification For Search, Social Media and AI Services Accompanied By Threat of Court Ordered Blocking of Lawful Content - Michael Gei...
The return of mandated age verification legislation in the Senate - formerly Bill S-210 and now S-209 - has been working its way through a Senate committee with a wide range of witnesses appearing ove...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 15, 2025 at 2:55 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
There is always a risk government moves forward later with lawful access, a law enforcement policy dream that seemingly never dies. But for now, this is a huge, embarrassing reversal. After months of defending warrantless access, it is moving on without it.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/gove...
Government Reverses on Bill C-2: Removes Lawful Access Warrantless Demand Powers in New Border Bill - Michael Geist
The government today reversed course on its ill-advised anti-privacy measures in Bill C-2, introducing a new border bill with the lawful access provisions (Parts 14 and 15) removed. The move is welcom...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 9, 2025 at 1:19 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
The government saw the writing on the wall: no support for Bill C-2 lawful access rules that would have created new warrantless access demand powers. My post on today's embarrassing reversal that must be accompanied by a commitment to prioritize privacy.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/gove...
Government Reverses on Bill C-2: Removes Lawful Access Warrantless Demand Powers in New Border Bill - Michael Geist
The government today reversed course on its ill-advised anti-privacy measures in Bill C-2, introducing a new border bill with the lawful access provisions (Parts 14 and 15) removed. The move is welcom...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Why The Recent TikTok Privacy Ruling Swaps Privacy for Increased Surveillance: privacy commissioners mandate better privacy through facial scanning, speech monitoring, and an AI based “passive underage detection model”?!
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/why-...
Why The Recent TikTok Privacy Ruling Swaps Privacy for Increased Surveillance - Michael Geist
Last month, federal privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne, alongside his provincial privacy counterparts from Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia, released the results of a multi-year investigation...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 8, 2025 at 1:10 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Last October 7th, I wrote about an imaginary antisemitism alert warning that wouldn’t stop buzzing. As we mark two years since the Hamas terror attacks, it sadly continues with relentless, open antisemitism manifesting in ways I never thought possible in Canada.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/10/refl...
Reflecting on October 7th: The Antisemitism Red Alert Warning Won’t Stop Buzzing - Michael Geist
Late on Friday, October 6, 2023, I was dozing after a family Sabbath dinner meal when I was suddenly awoken by the continuous buzzing of the Tzofar red alert app on my phone and watch. I had installed...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 7, 2025 at 1:13 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
And there it is. Notice paper includes a new border measures bill suggesting that the government is backing down on including lawful access in Bill C-2. Perhaps the privacy backlash + lack of support in a minority government had an impact.
www.ourcommons.ca/documentview...
October 7, 2025 at 12:29 AM
mgeist.bsky.social
CBC reporting that the government may be backing down for now on lawful access provisions in Bill C-2 with a new border bill to be introduced this week.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Government to table new border bill amid privacy concerns over C-2: sources | CBC News
The federal Liberals are set to introduce a new bill expected to mirror much of what's in their already tabled border legislation — but with some clauses that sparked concerns from opposition parties ...
www.cbc.ca
October 6, 2025 at 11:29 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
"We've told Liberals that their current Bill C-2 will not pass unless they remove the violations of Canadians' individual freedoms and privacy"

Pierre Poilievre gets it right on lawful access. All parties should reject warrantless access to personal information.

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Conservatives won't support Liberal border bill without major changes: Pierre Poilievre | CBC News
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the federal Liberals must either heavily amend their border bill or introduce a new piece of proposed legislation if they want support to pass it into law.
www.cbc.ca
October 6, 2025 at 6:14 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
My The Hub piece on the recent TikTok privacy decision. Children’s privacy is essential, but never thought I’d see day where privacy commissioners require Internet platforms to increase surveillance of their users including facial scanning and AI analysis of passive users.
thehub.ca/2025/10/06/m...
Michael Geist: Why the recent TikTok privacy ruling swaps privacy for increased surveillance
thehub.ca
October 6, 2025 at 2:46 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Much the Bill C-2 focus involves the warrantless disclosure demand powers. But the implications for mandated data sharing across borders and intersection with the US Cloud Act needs greater attention. @kate-ro.bsky.social joins my Law Bytes podcast to discuss.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/law-...
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 245: Kate Robertson on Bill C-2’s Cross-Border Data Sharing Privacy Risks - Michael Geist
Bill C-2, the government’s proposed lawful access legislation, has been the subject of several prior episodes covering warrantless disclosure of information as part of the new information demand power...
www.michaelgeist.ca
October 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Government launches consultation on new AI strategy. This one has a tight timeline - responses due by the end of the month. Can respond to a survey or offer comments. Says it expects the new strategy to be developed by the end of the year.
ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en...
Help define the next chapter of Canada's AI leadership
Current status: Open from October 1 to October 31, 2025 Canada helped invent modern AI. To stay a leader—and protect our digital sovereignty—we're running a 30-day national sprint to shape a renewed...
ised-isde.canada.ca
October 1, 2025 at 8:44 PM
mgeist.bsky.social
Don’t really know what tariffing a movie means in this context, but implications are potentially huge for Canada if they figure it out.
www.ctvnews.ca/world/trumps...
Trump says U.S. to impose 100% tariff on movies made outside the country
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would impose a 100 per cent tariff on all foreign-made movies, an unprecedented move that threatens to upend Hollywood’s global business model.
www.ctvnews.ca
September 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM