A new infusion of cash for the Ontario Autism Program in the recent provincial budget will bring annual spending to nearly $1 billion, money advocates hope will go directly toward core therapy for children. The Ontario Autism Coalition says it welcomes the new $189 million, but worries it will not make enough of a dent […]

The new CEO of Nova Scotia’s private electric utility says the firm has hit milestones on its recovery from last year’s cyberattack and is turning its attention to rebuilding trust with customers.  Vivek Sood, who became the CEO of Nova Scotia Power in early March, says the utility has reconnected its systems to every smart […]

ATLANTA (AP) — Over the past three decades, the collection of DNA from convicted criminals has become standard in the U.S. justice system, and many states now also swab people arrested for serious crimes. Legislation awaiting a final vote in Georgia would take that a step further by collecting DNA from people charged with less […]

COCHRANE – Cochrane is making changes after a third-party audit uncovered serious confidentiality breaches. Investigative Risk Management (IRM) found unauthorized access to closed meeting recordings, the improper sharing of legally privileged information, and major failures in records management among senior staff and some council members. According to a summary of the investigation, concerns about records […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has flouted a court order blocking it from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters’ access to the Defense Department’s headquarters, a New York Times attorney asserted Monday in urging a federal judge to compel the government’s compliance with the 10-day-old order. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman didn’t immediately rule from […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. The operation, attributed to Iran, showed […]

Your Access and Privacy Online News Summary for Saturday, March 28th. This week, Ontario’s government is moving to shield political records from access-to-information laws and it has set up a direct clash with the province’s independent privacy commissioner.  At the federal level, a new bill aimed at protecting Canada’s electoral system is raising early questions — including whether privacy concerns are addressed.   […]

Dual jury verdicts this week have validated longstanding concerns about the dangers of social media for young people. But the U.S. lacks federal regulation that meaningfully addresses these harms. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services. A day earlier in New Mexico, a […]

ATLANTA (AP) — Attorneys for Georgia’s Fulton County and President Donald Trump’s administration squared off in court Friday over the county’s demand that the FBI return seized ballots and other materials from the 2020 election. Abbe Lowell, representing Fulton County, repeatedly called the January seizure “unusual” because it involved an old election and allegations that […]

What do conservation authorities, a downtown Toronto parking lot and freedom-of-information requests have in common? On the face of it, nothing — but provincial legislative changes are coming to all three, and they are jammed into an omnibus budget bill tabled Thursday by Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. The province’s plan for doling out taxpayer […]

The Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against Uber that accuses the San Francisco-based company of violating the province’s Consumer Protection Act with its cancellation fees.  Lawyers for the main plaintiff, Valerie Ohayon, allege the company is not explicitly stating in its terms of service that a fixed fee will be charged for […]

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia on Saturday began implementing a new government regulation approved earlier this month that bans children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. With the move, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children from having […]