Canada: Technology

I hear some version of this from general counsel more often every year: they don't blindly trust their outside firm anymore, they verify it, the same way they verify every other vendor with access to their data. That shift catches a lot of firms off guard. Lawyers see themselves as trusted advisors, but procurement and legal ops teams see a law firm as one more party holding sensitive information. To them, that means proof, not just a handshake.

Ce bulletin mensuel a été préparé par le groupe Protection des renseignements confidentiels, vie privée et cybersécurité de Fasken pour vous présenter les actualités et les développements récents qui ont attiré notre attention. Si vous avez des questions sur l’un des sujets abordés dans ce bulletin, communiquez avec l’un des membres de ce groupe, qui se fera un plaisir de vous aider.

This is a monthly bulletin published by the Privacy and Cybersecurity Group at Fasken with noteworthy news and updates. If you have any questions about the items in this bulletin, please contact any member of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, and we will be pleased to assist.

The Government of Alberta has reportedly become the first jurisdiction in Canada to use artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the initial drafting of the Alberta Whisky Act (the “Whisky Act”). The Whisky Act, which came into effect on May 21, 2026, establishes new standards and definitions for what qualifies as “Alberta Whisky”, including requirements relating to production standards, ingredients, and processes. According to the province, AI was used as part of the drafting process, with government officials and legislative counsel retaining responsibility for review, revision, and all levels of approval.

Le gouvernement de la Saskatchewan a récemment établi un nouveau cadre réglementaire pour les centres de données, aligné sur les principes fédéraux canadiens. Ce cadre introduit six principes directeurs, notamment l'exigence que les centres de données développent leur propre capacité de production d'électricité et privilégient la propriété canadienne. Comment ces nouvelles politiques transformeront-elles le paysage des infrastructure

Deepfakes are reaching courts. Learn how a U.S. case dismissed for AI-generated evidence and Canadian authentication rules are changing what litigators must do now.

Free tokens are rarely free of tax consequences. Airdrops, staking rewards, yield-farming distributions and DAO compensation all arrive in a crypto wallet without a purchase, which makes them easy to overlook at filing time, and difficult to characterize when they are not overlooked.

The Canada Revenue Agency’s access to information about cryptocurrency and other crypto-assets is entering a new phase. Canadian taxpayers have always been responsible for identifying, valuing, classifying, and reporting taxable crypto activity, even where an exchange issued no Canadian tax slip, the transaction occurred through a foreign platform, or the assets were never converted into Canadian dollars. 

The Canada Revenue Agency’s (“CRA”) authority to conduct a cryptocurrency tax audit begins with subsection 231.1(1) of the Income Tax Act. It gives authorized CRA officials broad powers to inspect or examine relevant documents, records, property, processes, and other matters, and to require reasonable assistance and proper oral or written answers.