Best Michael Geist Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 236: Robert Diab on the Return of Lawful Access 39:49

Play Pause

3d ago39:49

39:49

Lawful access is back. Bill C-2, the government’s border bill, includes a new information demand power that would result in warrantless disclosure of information about a subscriber, a new international production order, and requirements for providers to assist law enforcement in working with their networks. There will no doubt be multiple podcast e…

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Episode 235: Teresa Scassa on the Alberta Clearview AI Ruling That Could Have a Big Impact on Privacy and Generative AI 31:00

10d ago31:00

31:00

The privacy concerns with Clearview AI sparked investigations and court cases around the world. The issues date back many years, but recently an Alberta court weighed in on the application of provincial privacy law in a decision that has big implications not only for that company but for the intersection between privacy and generative AI.To help un…

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Episode 234: “Solutions Aren’t Going to be Found Through Nostalgia”: Mark Musselman on the CRTC Hearings on Canadian Content Rules 36:13

17d ago36:13

36:13

The CRTC recently wrapped up a two-week hearing on the Online Streaming Act that featured most of the usual suspects, though notably not the large streaming services. The Commission grappled with foundational issues such as modernizing the definition of Canadian content, instituting IP requirements, and introducing new discoverability rules into Ca…

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Episode 233: Abdi Aidid on AI, the Law and the Future of Legal Practice 53:25

24d ago53:25

53:25

The discussion on the intersection between AI and the law, especially with respect to legal services continues to grow. From lawyers that mistakenly rely on AI generated cases to AI support for due diligence and comment review, the role of AI within legal practice has emerged as a critical issue. Professor Abdi Aidid is a law professor at the Unive…

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Episode 232: What Will Canadian Digital Policy Look Like Under the New Liberal Carney Government? 25:11

2M ago25:11

25:11

Digital policy did not play a major role in the recent federal election, but the new Mark Carney Liberal government is quickly going to face a wide range of digital-related policy questions. This week’s Law Bytes podcast examines the short, medium and longer term issues including the future of the digital services tax, Canadian digital sovereignty,…

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Episode 231: Sara Bannerman on How Canadian Political Parties Maximize Voter Data Collection and Minimize Privacy Safeguards 30:44

2M ago30:44

30:44

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 Researc…

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Episode 230: Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation 38:30

3M ago38:30

38:30

The 2025 federal election is now in its second week and the battle for attention and ultimately votes is taking place both online and offline. The enormous influence of online sites such as Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and a handful of others raises real issues about how information spreads, its reliability, and risks of misinformation and disinformat…

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Episode 229: My Digital Access Day Keynote - Assessing the Canadian Digital Policy Record 28:26

3M ago28:26

28:26

With a federal election just called and the campaign now underway, the focus will turn - at least in very small part - to party policies. It is certainly possible that digital issues such as AI regulation, online harms, and the fate of Internet laws will merit a mention. I’m hoping to cover those issues in the weeks ahead, but this week, I offer on…

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Episode 228: Kumanan Wilson on Why Canadian Health Data Requires Stronger Privacy Protection in the Trump Era 26:39

3M ago26:39

26:39

The craziness of the Trump administration relationship with Canada was on full display this past week as seemingly every day involved some form of policy change on tariffs – first on, then slightly delayed for some goods, then slightly delayed for more goods and by week’s end threats of new tariffs. Given the uncertainty, I recently co-wrote an op-…

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Episode 227: Tara Henley on How to Save the CBC 32:49

4M ago32:49

32:49

Debates over the role and future of the CBC are seemingly about as old as the CBC itself. Those debates have become increasingly fractious in recent years as some see the public broadcaster as essential to Canadian culture and to address concerns about misinformation, while other insist it is hopelessly biased, outdated, and a threat to marketplace…

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Episode 226: Richard Gold on Why Canada Should Target U.S. Patents To Help Counter Tariff Trade Pressure 25:43

4M ago25:43

25:43

The trade battle between Canada and the U.S. took a brief break last week as hours before the Trump tariffs were scheduled to take effect, President Trump agreed to a 30 day delay in return for various border measures. That brought a sigh of relief but no real sense that the issue is over. Indeed, quite the opposite – as future battles over tariffs…

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Episode 225: How Canada Can Leverage Digital Policy to Retaliate Against Trump’s Tariffs 21:09

5M ago21:09

21:09

Canada now finds itself in economic war with the United States as President Donald Trump has levied a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods (10% for energy), which are scheduled to start on Tuesday. In response, Canada will levy retaliatory tariffs valued at $155 billion with $30 billion coming this week and another $125 billion in several weeks time. I…

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Episode 224: Why Prorogation and Donald Trump Spell the End of an Era in Canadian Digital Policy 22:34

5M ago22:34

22:34

A lot has happened over the past six weeks since the last Law Bytes episode that provided a year-end review. TikTok briefly went offline in the U.S., Meta changed its content moderation policies in a major shift designed to curry favour with Donald Trump, Amazon announced it is laying off all of its Quebec-based employees, and Bell obtained an expa…

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Episode 223: The Year in Canadian Digital Law and Policy 33:41

6M ago33:41

33:41

Canadian digital law and policy in 2024 featured the long-delayed online harms bill, controversial implementation of streaming and online news legislation, as well as a myriad of notable copyright, AI, and privacy court cases. Government legislation stalled in the House of Commons, but with trade battles over a digital services tax, a competition c…

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Episode 222: Robert Diab on Canadian Media’s Copyright Lawsuit Against OpenAI 41:39

6M ago41:39

41:39

Canada’s largest media companies came together recently to file a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI, the owners of ChatGPT. I wrote about the suit, suggesting that the primary motivation behind the suit was likely the hope to kickstart settlement discussions with the hope of a licence. Robert Diab, a law professor at Thompson Rivers Uni…

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Episode 221: Inside My Canadian Heritage Committee Appearance on Freedom of Expression 37:11

7M ago37:11

37:11

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has for the past month been conducting a study on protecting freedom of expression. The counters of the study aren’t entirely clear. In fact, after I was invited to appear, I asked for some sense of what the committee was looking to address. There wasn’t much detail, which has really left it open for witn…

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Episode 220: Marina Pavlović on the CRTC’s Plans to Address Consumer Frustration Over Wireless Contracts 30:24

7M ago30:24

30:24

Consumer frustration with just about everything associated with Canadian communications services is well known. The list of concerns is long: high prices, contracts that lock in consumers but not providers, gaming prices to make comparison shopping difficult, and confusing consumer codes among them. As politicians have begun to take notice, the CRT…

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Episode 219: Scott Benzie on What the Corporate TikTok Ban Means For Canadian Digital Creators 27:54

7M ago27:54

27:54

The recent announcement of a Canadian government decision to ban the corporate offices of TikTok but leave the app untouched has left many puzzled since the approach may actually make matters worse. The potential privacy and security risks associated with the app will remain but the ability to hold the company accountable will be weakened. While th…

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Episode 218: Emily Laidlaw and Taylor Owen on Saving the Online Harms Act 40:35

8M ago40:35

40:35

The Online Harms Act or Bill C-63 was introduced last February after years of false starts, public consultations, and debates. Months later, the bill appears to be stalled in the House of Commons and has yet to make it to committee for further study. Some view that as a win, given their criticism of the bill, though others who have waited years for…

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Episode 217: David Fraser on the Privacy Implications of the Federal Court of Appeal’s Facebook Ruling 30:52

8M ago30:52

30:52

It has been many years since the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal captured headlines. The services at the heart of the case no longer exist, but the legal case in Canada continues to march on. Last month, the Federal Court of Appeal overturned a lower court decision that had largely sided with Facebook. In its place, it released a n…

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Episode 216: Game Changer or More of the Same?: Patrick Leblond on the New Global E-Commerce Agreement 37:14

8M ago37:14

37:14

For over 25 years, the World Trade Organization, an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade, has grappled with how to engage with e-commerce. What started as a moratorium on customs duties has expanded into the development of a new agreement that touches on a wide range of issue…

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Episode 215: Jan Grabowski on Wikipedia’s Antisemitism Problem 34:35

9M ago34:35

34:35

This podcast drops on Monday, October 7th, the one-year anniversary of the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. I’ve largely kept the issue the rising tide of antisemitism since the Hamas terrorist attacks off the Law Bytes podcast, but those that follow my work will know that I have been vocal on social media and the mainstream media expr…

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Episode 214: Erin Millar on Trust in Media and the Implementation of the Online News Act 33:35

9M ago33:35

33:35

Questions about trust in the media have escalated in Canada in recent months as with each error or questionable tweet, there is seemingly an inevitable chorus of concerns that raise doubts about the implications of government regulation and funding of the media. So where is the Online News Act at right now? What of the new collective designed to di…

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Episode 213: Elaine Craig on Mainstreaming Porn and Why Bill S-210 May Make Matters Worse 32:38

9M ago32:38

32:38

Bill S-210, the controversial age verification bill which purports to limit access to pornography for those under 18, could be headed for a final vote of approval in the House of Commons within the next couple of weeks. Much of the concern with the bill has focused on the privacy and free speech implications of mandating the technology and opening …

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Episode 212: Matt Hatfield on the State of Canadian Digital Policy as Politicians Return from the Summer Recess 23:43

9M ago23:43

23:43

Parliament resumes after a summer break today. While digital policies receded into the background over the past few months, the political intrigue of by-elections and a minority government without an NDP deal will be accompanied by questions about what happens to Bill C-63, Canada’s online harms bill, Bill C-27, the privacy and AI reform bill, Bill…

Michael Geist Podcasts

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Law Bytes

Michael Geist

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Think!

CJSR FM 88.5

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Consult An Expert: A Tipcast for IT Consultants

Association of Professional Computer Consultants

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Episode 236: Robert Diab on the Return of Lawful Access 39:49

1
Episode 235: Teresa Scassa on the Alberta Clearview AI Ruling That Could Have a Big Impact on Privacy and Generative AI 31:00

1
Episode 234: “Solutions Aren’t Going to be Found Through Nostalgia”: Mark Musselman on the CRTC Hearings on Canadian Content Rules 36:13

1
Episode 233: Abdi Aidid on AI, the Law and the Future of Legal Practice 53:25

1
Episode 232: What Will Canadian Digital Policy Look Like Under the New Liberal Carney Government? 25:11

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Episode 231: Sara Bannerman on How Canadian Political Parties Maximize Voter Data Collection and Minimize Privacy Safeguards 30:44

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Episode 230: Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation 38:30

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Episode 229: My Digital Access Day Keynote - Assessing the Canadian Digital Policy Record 28:26

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Episode 228: Kumanan Wilson on Why Canadian Health Data Requires Stronger Privacy Protection in the Trump Era 26:39

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Episode 227: Tara Henley on How to Save the CBC 32:49

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Episode 226: Richard Gold on Why Canada Should Target U.S. Patents To Help Counter Tariff Trade Pressure 25:43

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Episode 225: How Canada Can Leverage Digital Policy to Retaliate Against Trump’s Tariffs 21:09

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Episode 224: Why Prorogation and Donald Trump Spell the End of an Era in Canadian Digital Policy 22:34

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Episode 223: The Year in Canadian Digital Law and Policy 33:41

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Episode 222: Robert Diab on Canadian Media’s Copyright Lawsuit Against OpenAI 41:39

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Episode 221: Inside My Canadian Heritage Committee Appearance on Freedom of Expression 37:11

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Episode 220: Marina Pavlović on the CRTC’s Plans to Address Consumer Frustration Over Wireless Contracts 30:24

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Episode 219: Scott Benzie on What the Corporate TikTok Ban Means For Canadian Digital Creators 27:54

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Episode 218: Emily Laidlaw and Taylor Owen on Saving the Online Harms Act 40:35

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Episode 217: David Fraser on the Privacy Implications of the Federal Court of Appeal’s Facebook Ruling 30:52

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Episode 216: Game Changer or More of the Same?: Patrick Leblond on the New Global E-Commerce Agreement 37:14

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Episode 215: Jan Grabowski on Wikipedia’s Antisemitism Problem 34:35

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Episode 214: Erin Millar on Trust in Media and the Implementation of the Online News Act 33:35

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Episode 213: Elaine Craig on Mainstreaming Porn and Why Bill S-210 May Make Matters Worse 32:38

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Episode 212: Matt Hatfield on the State of Canadian Digital Policy as Politicians Return from the Summer Recess 23:43