Media Riff-Raff – June 2026: What do Canadians want from a modernized Privacy Act?
Should the government be able to share your personal data between institutions without your consent? Should AI be allowed to make decisions about you without human review?
We asked thousands of OpenMedia community members what they thought about this and more – and now’s your chance to hear what we heard, and talk with us about how to shape the rules governing privacy practices across 250+ government institutions in direct conversation with fellow community members.
On Monday, June 29, 2026, OpenMedia is hosting the second edition of our live community conversation series, Media Riff-Raff, where we'll share insights from our recent community survey about Canada’s 2026 Privacy Act review,1 and explore what changes our community wants to see in a modernized Privacy Act.2
We'll riff on ideas, question assumptions, and reason radically about defending Canadians' privacy and making our digital lives better. Sign up to come join us!
This campaign is hosted by OpenMedia. We will protect your privacy, and keep you informed about this campaign and others. Find OpenMedia's privacy policy here.
Session details
📅 Date: Monday, June 29, 2026
⏰ Time: 21:00 EST/ 18:00 PST
⏳ Duration: 1 hour
*Meeting links and interactive tools will be used during the session. All URLs and usage guidelines will be shared in advance via email.
Agenda
- Expert Riff (10 minutes) – An expert speaker gives an overview of the Privacy Act and its 2026 review.
- Moderated Q&A (15 minutes) – Questions are gathered live in an open platform where you can vote for the ones you most want answered. The moderator will put the top-voted questions to the speaker, with additional live questions if time allows.
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Survey Result Presentation (10 minutes) – OpenMedia's Executive Director presents findings from our recent community survey on what Canadians want in a modernized Privacy Act.
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Townhall (20 minutes) – Participants share policy ideas, question assumptions, and reason radically about what could work to defend Canadians' rights and freedoms in the 2026 Privacy Act review.
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Wrap-Up (5 minutes) – Closing reflections, next steps, and any calls to action.
Featured speakers and moderators
Expert speaker
- Matt Hatfield (Executive Director, OpenMedia) will open the session with an expert overview of the Privacy Act and Canada's 2026 review process, including the key gaps and challenges that need to be addressed. He will present findings from OpenMedia's recent community survey on what Canadians want in a modernized Privacy Act, including pressing questions around government data sharing between institutions and the use of AI in decision-making.
Moderator
- Jenna Fung (Policy Engagement Manager, OpenMedia) will moderate the session, guiding the live Q&A and keeping the Townhall conversation moving.
What to expect from the session?
- Understand the outdated Privacy Act and its 2026 review.
- Question potential blind spots in government’s 2026 review on the Privacy Act.
- Walk away with insights that could enrich OpenMedia’s final submission to the 2026 review.
Prepare for the session
- Think about the topic: Bring your questions, experiences, and perspectives about the session theme. If you answered our Privacy Act survey, think about what your most important points were. Reflect on assumptions, challenges, and possibilities before joining the session.
- Be ready to engage: Be prepared to listen, share, and build on others’ ideas.
- Bring an open mind: Expect messy thinking, differing opinions, and bold ideas. Embrace uncertainty for collective sense-making, and be kind and respectful towards other participants.
