Alberta voter data leak: 'Real horror' for Canadian democracy
Leyland Cecco
A right-wing separatist group illegally accessed Alberta's voter list of 2.9 million people, raising election security concerns in Canada. Experts call it a 'frightening new battlefield' of information and manipulation.
A data leak of voter information in Canada's Alberta province is causing public shock and raising deep concerns about the integrity of the country's electoral system. The right-wing separatist group Centurion Project is accused of illegally accessing the official provincial voter list, which includes names, addresses, and contact details of approximately 2.9 million voters.
Elections Alberta launched an investigation after discovering the breach. According to sources, the separatist group used data-driven campaign software to reach voters, in a campaign that organizer Emmott Kelsey described as potentially 'revolutionizing' the way election campaigns are conducted. The leaked data may have been shared by the Alberta Republican Party, a small right-wing party in the province.
Journalist Jen Gerson, who first uncovered the incident, said anyone with an anonymous account could access the entire dataset. Gerson reported this to Elections Alberta in late March, but it was only after a court order that the agency shut down the database and initiated an investigation.
David Parker, a veteran political organizer linked to the separatist movement and US MAGA figures, is a key figure in the Centurion Project. In an online demonstration, Parker showed he could retrieve the home address and phone number of former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. Kenney stated he is hiring lawyers and warned the leak could affect domestic violence victims, journalists, judges, and many others for years to come.
Elections Alberta said nearly 600 people accessed the list and acknowledged that Albertans are 'angry, scared, and worried.' The agency is calling for law amendments to prevent similar incidents.
The incident comes as the administration of President Donald Trump has sued 30 US states for voter lists, raising concerns about voter purges before the midterm elections. Experts warn that Alberta voter data could be collected by US data brokers due to weaker US privacy laws.
Additionally, researchers caution that Alberta is becoming a target for manipulation campaigns by countries such as Russia and China. Brian McQuinn, co-director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence, Data and Conflict at the University of Regina, noted that before Russia invaded Ukraine, researchers observed a rise in sovereignty-related discussions there. 'Americans want us as weak as possible, and the separatist movement harming us in negotiations is very important to them,' McQuinn said.
