As the 2025 federal election passes the midway point, it is increasingly apparent that the federal political parties are not only battling for votes, but also for data. Canadians may not see it but political parties are data machines anxious to collect and use as much data about potential supporters as possible. Sara Bannerman is the Canada Research Chair in Communications Policy and Governance at McMaster University. She has been examining the privacy concerns with Canadian political parties for years, highlighting the disconnect between the expectations of Canadians and the reality on the ground. She joins the Law Bytes podcast to discuss Canadian political party privacy – or lack thereof – and explains the role that data plays in the modern political party machinery.
Post Tagged with: "bannerman"
Copyright the Canadian Way
Bannerman’s article notes that virtually from the moment of confederation, Canada has grappled with contentious copyright reform issues. Reform efforts have invariably come as a response to international pressures, with the United Kingdom exerting significant influence over the early attempts to craft a genuine made-in-Canada copyright law. Bannerman also places the spotlight on the challenges Canada has faced with international copyright treaties, with attitudes that have ranged from outright rejection to strong support.
Bannerman on Copyright Timelines
Sara Bannerman has two great posts on the historical timelines on Canadian copyright reform and its implementation of international copyright treaties.
Bannerman on the ACTA Choice
Sara Bannerman has an interesting post on whether to participate or walk away from ACTA.
Canadian Music Piracy Claims, Circa 1897
BoingBoing points to a NY Times article from 1897 discussing claims from the U.S. music publisher industry about "Canadian pirates." Earlier this year, I sat on the doctoral committee of Sara Bannerman, who has written a remarkable dissertation that traces the pressure Canada faced on copyright from both the U.S. […]
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 231: Sara Bannerman on How Canadian Political Parties Maximize Voter Data Collection and Minimize Privacy Safeguards 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 230: Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 229: My Digital Access Day Keynote – Assessing the Canadian Digital Policy Record 
Queen’s University Trustees Reject Divestment Efforts Emphasizing the Importance of Institutional Neutrality 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 228: Kumanan Wilson on Why Canadian Health Data Requires Stronger Privacy Protection in the Trump Era
