BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union rolled out a new team on Friday to rein in AI companies across the world, in one of the most aggressive regulations the high-tech sector has so far faced as fears rise over the risks the rapidly advancing technology poses to people, politics and prosperity. Brussels aims to track […]

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Superior Court of Delaware, is the latest in a flurry of suits filed against […]

Your Access and Privacy Online News Summary for Saturday, August 1st. This week: Alberta’s referendum costs and voter-file concerns; access records exposing hidden delays and historic mistreatment; municipal AI safeguards; and, internationally, the growing struggle over surveillance, public records, and platform control.   Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You […]

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is offering 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) in funding for firms to erect seven AI gigafactories as it seeks to close the AI gap with U.S. and China, the 27-nation bloc’s executive said on Thursday. The European Commission said it would like the public financing to draw an additional […]

Two City of New Westminster employees topped the $300,000 mark in remuneration in 2026. Each year, B.C. municipalities release a Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) report, which contains a variety of financial documents. That includes a report on remuneration of council members, a statement on severance agreements and a report on employee remuneration and expenses.  […]

The Town of Slave Lake passed a new bylaw to update its Leisure Economic Assistance Program, ensuring local recreation facilities remain accessible to low-income individuals and families. During the July 14 committee meeting, council unanimously gave all three readings to Bylaw #10-2026. This legislative update officially repeals and replaces the town’s outdated 2015 policy, establishing […]

Russian authorities said Wednesday they had charged Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism, the latest step by the Kremlin to bring the internet and digital communications under its control. The charges against the Russian-born Durov, who lives abroad, came as authorities have sought to restrict the […]

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, has repeatedly run into trouble with both the Kremlin and Western officials as he cast himself as a champion of free speech. On Wednesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, accused him of aiding what it called terrorist activities. It also said it […]

Water Not Coal is asking people contacted by Elections Alberta during petition signature verification to share their experiences, as the campaign weighs a legal challenge with a filing deadline of Aug. 2. “We’re still gathering our information. We’ve put out a public call,” campaign proponent Corb Lund says. “We want to understand their experience and […]

A citizen initiative petition proposing a referendum on Alberta becoming an independent country has been declared successful after Elections Alberta verified enough signatures to satisfy the requirements of the Citizen Initiative Act. The agency announced Friday that statistical verification estimated 222,597 valid signatures from an initial submission of 286,593 signatures, surpassing the required minimum of […]

NEW YORK (AP) — A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker’s ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex bots. The Salamanca City […]

The United Nations official left to oversee not just children’s welfare but also water and sanitation in the Gaza Strip is praising Canada’s support for Palestinians — but warns that some of its aid money is being squandered by Israel’s attacks on water facilities and restrictions on aid groups. Jonathan Veitch, the head of UNICEF […]