On April 4, 2025, National Observer published an article highlighting warnings from a coalition of Canadian and American mayors, who cautioned that Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports could devastate regional economies, leading to job losses and economic disruption. The coverage emphasizes the risks of authoritarian economic policies and calls for bilateral cooperation to avert further harm to workers and local industries.

National Observer published an in-depth report on August 12, 2024, uncovering how fossil fuel companies aggressively lobbied key federal departments (ECCC, NRCAN, Finance Canada) to delay or weaken climate regulations, thereby highlighting potential authoritarian influences in policy-making. The report emphasizes the concentrated efforts by big oil to curb environmental regulations and the importance of transparency in democratic processes.

On January 12, 2024, National Observer published an article highlighting how unions played a pivotal role in the climate movement during 2023. The article emphasizes the importance of labor rights and a just transition in the energy sector, promoting progressive and anti-authoritarian values.

In its investigative report, National Observer, in collaboration with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, revealed that the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) held a record 269 meetings with federal officials in 2020. The report uncovers extensive lobbying efforts aimed at diluting environmental regulations and shielding fossil fuel interests, thereby prompting public accountability and exposing potential regulatory capture.

National Observer published an in-depth investigative report detailing a parliamentary committee's probe into the RCMP's use of intrusive cellphone spyware. The report highlights the need for independent oversight of surveillance technologies and calls for higher standards of transparency and accountability for law enforcement practices, reinforcing public scrutiny of potential authoritarian practices.

On February 4, 2021, National Observer published an investigative report revealing that Clearview AI had engaged in what privacy commissioners have described as illegal 'mass surveillance' of Canadians by collecting millions of facial images without consent. The report details a probe by federal and provincial privacy commissioners which highlighted the misuse of biometric data, an issue with far-reaching implications for public privacy and civil liberties.

National Observer published an article outlining an open letter urging the Canadian government to ban federal use of facial-recognition surveillance. The piece highlights concerns that the technology is inaccurate and disproportionately misidentifies women and people of color, potentially leading to profiling and infringements on civil liberties.