OpenAI challenging B.C. privacy order for details of Tumbler Ridge shooting

Victoria — The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia is contesting an order from a higher court requiring the tech company OpenAI to turn over documents concerning the mass shooting that occurred in Tumbler Ridge. The independent agency has filed for judicial review in B.C. Supreme Court, disputing the privacy office’s request for specific documents as part of a current investigation.

According to the office, they initially requested OpenAI to share information about its policies, practices, and the interactions its applications had with the Tumbler Ridge shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, back in February. The company allegedly failed to comply, prompting the privacy office to initiate an investigation in June, followed by an order for the production of the information in September.

OpenAI has yet to provide a comment on the matter. The privacy office’s probe centers on the utilization of personal information, such as content uploaded by users or interactions with other ChatGPT users in the chatbot’s responses, and whether this practice would be deemed appropriate under the specific circumstances, including the potential influence on behavior.

Jesse Van Rootselaar carried out the shootings on February 10, 2025, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, including five students and an educational assistant at a local secondary school, before taking her own life. OpenAI suspended the shooter’s ChatGPT account in June 2025 following reports of concerning behavior, but the company did not inform the police.

The B.C. government has already indicated its intention to take legal action against OpenAI, while several victims and their families have initiated lawsuits against the technology firm. This report by The Canadian Press was originally published on October 30, 2026.