Probe finds OpenAI did not respect Canadian privacy laws | CTV National News at 5:30 for May 6, 2026

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:07]Hello. Glad you can join us. Here's what we have for you. Chat GPT prompts a reprimand from Canada's privacy commissioner.

[00:00:15]>> Open AI scraped vast amounts of personal information.

[00:00:18]>> The legal change is needed.

[00:00:21]>> We're choosing the best at exactly the right time. One historic deal takes wing while another stalls.

[00:00:31]>> Organized crime doesn't miss these opportunities.

[00:00:33]>> Plus, the unconventional ways that grocery stores are clamping down on theft.

[00:00:43]>> CTV National News with Sandy Ronaldo.

[00:00:47]>> And we begin with chat GPT. popular AI assistant that most of us use and the damning indictment from Canada's privacy commissioner that it is scooping up personal information without safeguards and violating privacy laws. CTV senior correspondent Judy Trin is here. And Judy, what kind of data is at risk?

[00:01:08]Sandy, what we heard today was that Open AI was collecting sensitive information such as health data and political views.

[00:01:15]But what the privacy watchd dogs are most concerned about are weak laws.

[00:01:21]After an investigation that took three years, privacy commissioners from the federal government, BC, Alberta, and Quebec found that open AI violated privacy laws across the country as it developed its chat GPT technology. Our joint investigation highlights the importance of prioritizing privacy in the development, deployment, and ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence.

[00:01:47]>> The joint investigation looked at Chat GBT's 3.5 and 4.0 models and found a lack of accountability. The models overcolcted personal information. Users weren't asked for consent. False information was found in searches and users couldn't correct the info. To initially train chat GPT, OpenAI scraped vast amounts of personal information from publicly accessible websites. This was widespread and indiscriminate.

[00:02:15]>> Concerns about the lack of safeguards around chat GBT have made headlines following the Tumblr Ridge mass shooting that showed Open AI didn't flag troubling interactions to police. The company is facing several class action lawsuits in Canada and the US, but government regulation is lagging.

[00:02:35]Canada's privacy laws were developed more than 20 years ago.

[00:02:39]>> We have also called on our government to regulate AI uses. The kind of regulation would require companies like Open AI to evaluate the risks of this technology and to mitigate those risks before launch.

[00:02:51]>> Open AAI did fix some of the problems in later versions of its chat GBT. The federal government is in the process of drafting new AI legislation, but for now, lawmakers are relying on private companies to police themselves.

[00:03:07]>> Sandy.

[00:03:07]>> Okay, Judy. On privacy issues, which leads us to our next story on what could be the largest data breach in Canada's history. An Alberta Separatist Link Group has posted the personal information of millions online. And it comes at a sensitive time for the province with allegations also of foreign interference. CTV's Kathy Lee explains.

[00:03:29]Canadian researchers found coordinated online campaigns, including from Russia, using artificial intelligence to amplify Alberta's separatist content. The messaging pushes themes of independence, Canada failing, and even the province joining the United States. One of the authors says the spread is subtle, often happens without people realizing it, and is meant to create division.

[00:03:52]>> The reason why people don't see it is it's very covert. They write messages and have narratives that are close enough to something that you believe that you will send an article along without necessarily reading everything that's in that article. Those concerns come as another controversy grows in Alberta involving a separatist group known as the Centurion Project and allegations that an electors list containing information on millions of Albertans may have been improperly obtained.

[00:04:18]>> The scale of this is truly unprecedented uh in Alberta's history and there's a real risk of harm I think to to to people in connection with this incident.

[00:04:27]There are also allegations that voter data, including that of former Premier Jason Kenny, was shown during an online meeting. While members of her inner circle were there, Premier Danielle Smith has said she was not aware of the breach.

[00:04:41]>> This is going to put significant pressure on the government to uh to change the laws so that there's better protection.

[00:04:49]>> Meanwhile, the separatist group Stay Free Alberta says it's gathered enough signatures to trigger a potential referendum this fall. and researchers warned that could make the topic of Alberta separation an even bigger target for foreign interference. Kathy Lee, CTV News, Calgary.

[00:05:06]Some good economic news to share with you now. The prime minister and Quebec's premier have confirmed that lowcost airline Air Asia has put in an order from Canada's Airbus manufacturer for as many as 150 planes to be built in Quebec with Canadian hands. Let's bring in CTV's Quebec bureau chief Shinvia Boschman. And Jen, what does this deal mean for Canada's aerospace industry?

[00:05:32]>> Well, yes, Andy, you know, this is the largest order of commercial aircraft in Canada's history. So, it's a big deal.

[00:05:37]It also means that there will be more security for the jobs here in Mirabel.

[00:05:41]Now, there have been other carriers that have looked into this and there was a lot of competition for this deal. So, this really puts Quebec as a cornerstone of the deal. And it also fits in with the prime minister Mark Carney's theory, his vision of actually doubling non- US exports by the end of the decade. Here's what the prime minister had to say about the deal.

[00:06:01]>> Deepening the links between Canada and Azon to the benefit of our workers, our families, our tourists, our business people. And the very first link in that chain is the entrepreneur, the risktaker, the builder. Well, Jen, is there any doubt that Airbus will be able to deliver?

[00:06:20]Well, >> that's a big question because, you know, this is the A220. It was formerly known as the C- Series. It's had a turbulent history and Airbus has had some difficulty getting the planes rolling off the assembly line. It says that has ramped up production. And the buyer, Air Asia, its owner, has said that it has he says that he's has a lot of confidence in both Airbus as well as Canada. Here's what Tony Fernandez had to say.

[00:06:44]My whole life I've been shouting out for middle powers to stand up and be counted. And now we have a leader in middle power. Thank you, Prime Minister Khani.

[00:06:58]He he didn't pay me for this. You know, I don't generally like bankers, but he's the first banker I've liked.

[00:07:07]Fernando has also praised Quebec's industry here and its aerospace workers.

[00:07:13]Sandy.

[00:07:13]>> Okay, CTV Boschman. Thanks, Jen. Now that's the good news. Now the bad.

[00:07:19]Automaker Honda has reportedly suspended plans to build an electric vehicle plant in Ontario. The culprit, American tariffs and slow demand. CTV senior political correspondent Michael Coutur now on the pressures that may have put the project on hold. Hey, Mike.

[00:07:36]>> Well, Sandy, when asked about Honda, the prime minister pointed out the auto sector is facing challenges because of US tariffs, but some in the industry say this is really about the US decision to turn away from EVs.

[00:07:51]The Honda plant in Alist, Ontario, was set to add 1,000 new jobs in a $15 billion expansion. According to a report out of Asia, Honda is shelving a plan to build an EV factory in southern Ontario.

[00:08:07]In a statement to CTV News, the car maker said the content of the article was not released by Honda, and we have nothing to report at this time. The federal finance minister remains confident the plan isn't dead.

[00:08:21]>> The word that they used was to put that on hold. So, we'll see what the future is ahead.

[00:08:27]The Conservative leader contends the prime minister's auto strategy is to blame for the plan not moving forward.

[00:08:34]>> He claims that we're going to replace 83% of our automotive sales to the US by making electric vehicles that people don't want to buy.

[00:08:45]>> Mark Carney says the problem is the trade war with the US.

[00:08:49]>> Obviously, there's challenges with the uh uh with the US tariffs uh unjustified tariffs in the auto sector. continue to work with companies in the sector.

[00:08:57]>> In February, the Japanese ambassador to Canada told CTV News, expansion in this country is directly linked to the ability to export to the US.

[00:09:08]>> Private companies that means they have to calculate to increase profit. So, Kuna is very important part of the calculation. But some in the auto industry blame the Trump administration for removing EV incentives and mandates in the US.

[00:09:25]>> This is really about the Americans hollowing out the EV market and um Honda having uh planned to serve that huge market from here.

[00:09:34]>> A Flavio Vulp points out Honda isn't leaving Ontario. The company just isn't expanding. But even that isn't good news for the Canadian auto industry. Sandy.

[00:09:46]All right, Mike in Ottawa. Thanks, Mike.

[00:09:48]In the ongoing saga of the cruise ship marooned at sea, three passengers with suspected handtovirus infections have now been taken to the Netherlands for treatment. The trio was removed from the vessel before being taken away by plane.

[00:10:02]The ship with nearly 150 people on board, including four Canadians, is still mored off the coast of Africa, but is expected to sail to Spain's Canary Islands, where Spanish citizens will be quarantined and others repatriated to their own countries. Three people have died from the virus. Well, word today that the US is reportedly getting closer to a deal with Iran to end the war. News service Axios is reporting that the White House believes it is near an agreement on a one-page memorandum. The provisions are said to include a moratorum on Iranian uranium enrichment, lifting US sanctions, and opening the straight of Hermuz. The president today told reporters Iran wants to make a deal.

[00:10:48]>> We'll see whether or not they can make a deal that's satisfactory to us. We have it very much under control. The blockade is unbelievable. The Navy has been incredible. The job they did, it's like a it's like a wall of steel. Nobody goes through.

[00:11:02]>> Trump also said the US would get enriched uranium from Iran. It's believed the country has more than 400 kg of highlyenriched uranium, enough to eventually make 10 atomic bombs.

[00:11:15]Now, as a result, the price of oil is down, but not yet reflected in gas prices. Just look at what it costs to fill up at the pump across this country.

[00:11:25]These are desperate times indeed and desperate times sometimes create desperate acts prompting some to steal or siphon gas. CTV's Alex Karpa has that story for us.

[00:11:38]>> Some are turning to unconventional methods to get their hands on fuel. A desperation move with gas prices soaring.

[00:11:45]>> You know they'll do it right here.

[00:11:46]>> X marks the spot where people drill into fuel tanks with the intention of stealing gas directly from vehicles.

[00:11:52]>> They'll take a hole saw. They'll drill it in and they'll stick a pipe in with a transfer pump and it's done in minutes.

[00:12:00]>> Mechanics have noticed a recent uptick in vehicles coming into their shop with gas tank damage, repairing a couple of cars a month.

[00:12:07]>> It's pretty simple, but it's costly. I mean, we have to take the tank out, which on a lot of vehicles is 2 to three hours of labor. Uh, and then we have to bring it to a special place where they uh they weld them and then we put them back in.

[00:12:18]>> And the theft is leaving individuals and businesses out hundreds of dollars. So, this is one of the trucks that was damaged.

[00:12:24]>> Juliana Bartell says two of the trucks at her business were recently targeted.

[00:12:28]>> We came to work in the morning and tried to fire up a truck and it was making some weird sounds. So, the guys went underneath the vehicle cuz we assumed our gas tank was drilled and that's exactly what it happened.

[00:12:37]>> Siphoning gas is the more traditional way to steal gas from a vehicle, but drilling a hole into the pump directly is a faster method. It's >> just such a huge inconvenience.

[00:12:46]>> RCMP say this type of theft is relatively common, especially in rural communities. their advice. Keep your car in a well-lit area and had cameras installed on your property. Similar incidents are also being reported elsewhere. Earlier this year, a suspect in BC's Interior drilled into a gas tank and stole fuel from a pickup truck.

[00:13:05]Thefts like this are also being reported south of the border.

[00:13:08]>> It happens fast and and they're in and out.

[00:13:10]>> As gas prices continue to rise, Jansen says he believes this theft could become a bigger issue. Alex Carper, CTV News in Bloomort, Manitoba.

[00:13:19]And it's not just gas, but theft at selfch checkckout counters that's on the rise with more and more brazen incidents sometimes involving organized crime. It has retailers struggling to stem the losses. CTV's Adrien Gobriel now on the scope of the problem and what's being done about it. Adrien >> Sandy, with grocery store thefts on the rise across the country, this Fresco here in downtown Toronto recently launched a pilot program that has some employees wearing body cameras. Over in British Columbia out west, some grocerers there have even put their meat counter under lock and key as grocery thefts now climb into the billions annually.

[00:14:00]Carts and bags full of stolen groceries.

[00:14:03]>> It's a national issue. Um, you know, it's taking place right across the country.

[00:14:07]>> A rise in five finger discounts as Canadian grocery stores on high alert, using everything from body cameras on some staff to an increased number of security cams lining stores. Some grocerers have even taken to placing their meat counter under lock and key.

[00:14:22]>> Organized crime doesn't miss these opportunities.

[00:14:24]>> Industry sources tell CTV News that thefts are being driven by a mix of economic pressure and increasingly organized retail crime. Grocery stores are reporting coordinated repeat thefts tied to criminal networks. The Retail Council of Canada has called retail crime a national crisis with losses now approaching 10 billion annually across the grocery sector and growing. The RCMP in Richmond, BC say supermarket theft has doubled so far this year.

[00:14:54]>> We have analysts and when they see a spike like this, we have we have meetings every every week. In January, Ottawa police conducted Project Pantry at this downtown grocery store.

[00:15:04]Undercover officers charged a dozen people with 78 charges with some thefts appearing to be coordinated.

[00:15:11]>> Going to a car right away and uh in giving that uh uh that product to whoever's in the car in exchange for something.

[00:15:20]>> Some selfch checkout counters inside grocery stores are also being exploited.

[00:15:25]>> Walmart in the States is pulling them out of a lot of their stores as we speak. Just last August in Windsor, Ontario, more than $220,000 worth of beef was stolen from this parked tractor trailer. The large-scale heist, another example of a lucrative crime on the rise. There are differing opinions as to where some of the items like black market beef are ending up, though authorities believe that restaurants struggling to turn a profit are likely purchasing some of the stolen goods. Sam >> CTV's Adrien Gobriel in Toronto. Well, Canada's trade war with the US is having a real impact on the alcohol industry down south. The Distilled Spirits Council says it saw a 63% drop in exports to Canada in 2025. It blames the bans on American liquor in most Canadian provinces.

[00:16:14]>> We're working harder than ever and we're just basically keeping our head above water.

[00:16:18]>> Coming up, the housing dilemma that's hitting home for millennials.

[00:16:32]Just ask any millennial how difficult it is these days to find affordable housing. New data from Stats Canada shows more people in their 30s and 40s are living at home compared with how it was for their older siblings and parents at the same age. CTV's Abigail Bean digs into the data to show us what's going on here. Abigail Sandy. Statistics Canada tells us there are a number of factors that contribute to lower home ownership rates for young people. Affordability is just one of them.

[00:17:03]>> Even with a good job in the trades, Eric Rodriguez says he's struggling to afford getting back in the housing market.

[00:17:10]>> There used to be a time in an age in this country where working hard and making a good wage would get you ahead and would get you a house and you'd be able to go on all these trips on the weekends with the kids. But now it just seems that we're we're working harder than ever and we're just basically keeping our head above water.

[00:17:25]>> He's not surprised to hear about a new report from Statistics Canada that showed twice as many millennials live with their parents than baby boomers did when they were in the same 25 to 39 age bracket.

[00:17:37]>> A broad change uh across the generations and it's not explicitly down to just one factor.

[00:17:43]>> Affordability is often top of mind when it comes to millennial home ownership.

[00:17:47]Statistics Canada says other factors include a cultural shift with a more diverse younger population more likely to live with parents and the concept of life stretching where Canadians are spending longer on each stage of life.

[00:18:02]>> They're having to go to post-secary more uh they pay more for the privilege to then land jobs that actually pay less than baby boomers earned after adjusting for inflation to then face way higher housing prices. How have we managed to screw things up so badly that despite all the correct ingredients in Canada, we have managed to make housing um less achievable for younger people.

[00:18:26]>> That expert pointing to improved building technology and lots of land per capita as reasons Canadians should be able to afford homes.

[00:18:34]>> The paper was done uh using 2021 data as the latest data and since then the affordability picture has worsened.

[00:18:41]Statistics Canada tells us they hope to provide more concrete information on affordability challenges in the housing market through future research.

[00:18:49]Meanwhile, the most recent data is currently being collected through the 2026 census. Sandy. All right, Abigail.

[00:18:56]Thanks. Kate, the Princess of Wales, will make her first international trip since recovering from cancer. She's expected to travel to Italy next week with her Early Childhood Development Foundation. Kensington Palace says Kate will meet with a number of educators, community members. She stepped away from public life in 2024 to focus on her cancer treatment.

[00:19:24]A Canadian critic of President Donald Trump has launched a lawsuit to stop the US government from getting his personal information from Google. The anonymous man who goes by a pseudonym online posted about the killing of US citizens by federal agents on social media platforms like X. The Department of Homeland Security then made a legal request to the search engine Google demanding detailed personal information.

[00:19:49]The Canadian claims he is being unlawfully targeted.

[00:19:53]And the man who was instrumental in launching 24-hour News, visionary, media mogul, and CNN founder Ted Turner has died. Turner is said to have passed away peacefully, surrounded by family. The Atlanta businessman and philanthropist built a media empire that included not just cable channels, but sports teams like the Atlanta Braves. He was also an avid environmentalist. Turner battled Louisbody dementia in recent years. He was 87 years old.

[00:20:32]Both Vancouver and Toronto are scrambling to make sure everything is in place for the start of the FIFA World Cup. Today, we learned more about Vancouver's readiness plan. CTV's BC bureau chief Andrew Johnson is in the know. Okay, Andrew, how are things coming along?

[00:20:49]>> Sandy, the planning committee is hammering the message to leave your car at home for FIFA and take transit. There are new warnings from police. There is still no budget update for taxpayers.

[00:21:01]Vancouver says five weeks out, it is ready and uniquely equipped for this giant event, having hosted a World's Fair, the 2010 Olympics, and FIFA Women's World Cup.

[00:21:11]>> An estimated 350,000 spectators at the stadium across all of our seven matches, a record number of cruise ships coming into the city, and a capacity of over 25,000 at our FIFA fan festival here.

[00:21:23]The area around BC Play Stadium will essentially be shut down on game days. A FIFA footprint designed around transit using Sky Train, buses, a bike valet service, and shuttles. Transit is and will be the easiest way to get around this region.

[00:21:40]>> One day after Toronto revealed its $12 million police command center, Vancouver police say they will use similar safety measures, including drone enforcement.

[00:21:50]They're also warning about fraud. Uh fraudsters are often advertised properties that actually don't exist or they do not actually own. So really verify those short-term rental listings.

[00:22:01]Check multiple sources. Organizers declined to get into the updated budget with the total cost for BC taxpayers and security still a mystery.

[00:22:10]>> We'll be coming back with an update in the next few weeks.

[00:22:13]>> The city has unveiled a special attraction. The iconic dome attached to Science World, built for Expo 86, will become a giant matchball over the next month. As for people who live in the stadium area, eyeballing all of these closures and disruptions, organizers say more details are coming next week on how locals will get around for 39 days between June and July. Sandy, >> sounds like fun. Okay, Andrew, thank you for sharing your Wednesday with us. I'm Sandy Ronaldo. Bye for now. We'll see you tomorrow, we hope.