Elections Alberta is investigating the breach of a massive voter information leak, which may involve thousands of unauthorized users accessing a public database. The leak stems from the Centurion Project, a separatist group supporting Alberta’s push for independence. This project had created an online tool containing the names, addresses, and voter registration details of nearly three million Albertans.
The information originally came from a voter list legally provided to the pro-Independence Republican Party of Alberta, but Elections Alberta is uncertain how it made its way into the Centurion Project’s hands. In a court-ordered shutdown last month, the Centurion database was taken down. However, the agency’s investigation revealed that, while 566 cease-and-desist letters have been issued, Elections Alberta is still unsure if the voter list is completely secure or if unauthorized access is still ongoing.
The project’s founder, David Parker, maintains that the app was designed to help recruit supporters for a potential referendum on independence. The breach has sparked investigations from the RCMP, Alberta’s privacy commissioner, and Elections Alberta, with the latter pursuing legal actions to ensure the list is no longer shared.
Despite the group’s claims of relying on third-party data, Elections Alberta has said it cannot fully verify whether the list has been completely contained. Investigators are also exploring the possibility of the Centurion Project withholding some details of the database as part of their non-compliance with the court’s injunction.
While the Centurion Project’s goal was recruitment, the ongoing investigations and Parker’s refusal to cooperate continue to raise serious questions about the breach’s extent and potential future ramifications.
