This Week in Canada: A Scandal in Alberta’s Separatist Movement
Alberta's separatist movement faces a credibility crisis amid a scandal involving unauthorized access to sensitive voter data through the Centurion Project's app. The data, which included names and addresses of nearly three million Albertans, was reportedly used for political targeting without proper safeguards. Despite denials from project leaders, concerns have been raised about privacy violations and oversight failures in the province's election regulations.
- ▪The Centurion Project, a pro-secession group, allegedly accessed a database containing names and addresses of nearly three million Albertans through a volunteer app.
- ▪Jen Gerson, a journalist and co-founder of The Line, discovered her own data in the system and reported it to Elections Alberta, which declined to investigate.
- ▪David Parker, who runs the Centurion Project, claimed the data use was legitimate and comparable to public phone books, a comparison widely criticized.
- ▪The Centurion App was promoted as a groundbreaking political organizing tool, with claims it was presented to the White House for its innovative campaign capabilities.
- ▪Elections Alberta did not pursue an investigation due to stricter legal thresholds enacted under Premier Danielle Smith’s government.
- ▪Emmott Kelsey, a prominent separatist, described the app as revolutionary and claimed it would transform political campaigning in Alberta.
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This Week in Canada: A Scandal in Alberta’s Separatist MovementAn activist holds a placard reading ‘Alberta 1st or 51st’ as Alberta sovereigntists and supporters gather outside the Alberta Legislature for the Rally for Alberta Independence on May 3, 2025. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via AP)Freeing the oil-rich province from Canada just got more complicated, Carney is the king of cowboy country, and more.By Rupa Subramanya05.05.26 — CanadaNo description available.FOLLOW TOPIC --:----:--Upgrade to Listen5 minsProduced by ElevenLabs using AI narration164Welcome back to This Week in Canada, where Alberta’s separatist movement landed itself in a hot mess, our prime minister tells European leaders how to deal with the increasingly unpredictable U.S., and more.
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