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Topic


Gap grows between TikTok users, lawmakers on potential ban

NEW YORK (AP) — On the one side are dozens of lawmakers on Capitol Hill issuing dire warnings about security breaches and possible Chinese surveillance. On the other are some 150 million TikTok users in the U.S. who just want to be able to keep making and watching short, fun videos offering makeup tutorials and […]

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Security adviser warned PM of public concerns on foreign agent registry: memo

OTTAWA — A newly released memo shows the prime minister’s national security adviser warned him to expect some pushback from planned public consultations about a foreign agent registry, given that countries have used such registries as tools of control. In her memo last August, Jody Thomas told Justin Trudeau the discussions “may elicit a range […]

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Pope expands sex abuse law, reaffirms adults can be victims

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday updated a 2019 church law aimed at holding senior churchmen accountable for covering up sexual abuse cases, expanding it to cover lay Catholic leaders and reaffirming that vulnerable adults and not just children can be victims of abuse when they are unable to freely consent. With the […]

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Greens Take Lead to Stop NDAs from Silencing Victims

Susan MacRae wants to talk about what happened to her, but she can’t. As a young girl, MacRae signed a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits her from discussing sexual abuse she suffered, even with family members or therapists. In 2018, a judge upheld that NDA even though the other party — her father — was dead. […]

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Utah social media law means kids need approval from parents

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Children and teens in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don’t have parental consent and face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive platforms. Two laws signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox Thursday prohibit kids under […]

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France bans TikTok, Twitter from government staff phones

PARIS (AP) — France announced Friday it is banning the “recreational” use of TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and other apps on government employees’ phones because of concern about insufficient data security measures. The move follows similar restrictions on TikTok in democratic countries amid fears about the popular video-sharing app’s Chinese connections. But the French decision also […]

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LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr issues warning to users in Egypt

CAIRO (AP) — A popular gay social networking application said Friday that it is issuing a warning to its users in Egypt, as police impersonate community members to target LGBTQ+ individuals. Users in Egypt will see the following warning appear in Arabic and English when they open the app: “We have been alerted that Egyptian […]

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Utah social media law is ambitious, but is it enforceable?

Utah’s sweeping social media legislation passed this week is an ambitious attempt to shield children and teens from the ill effects of social media and empower parents to decide whether their kids should be using apps like TikTok or Instagram. What’s not clear is if — and how — the new rules can be enforced […]

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Director fights to keep Morrisseau fraud doc raw footage sealed from police

A Canadian filmmaker is fighting a police order seeking access to raw footage from his documentary about an alleged fraud ring involving fake Norval Morrisseau art, saying he has to protect his source material. Jamie Kastner says he was shocked by the production order he received as Ontario Provincial Police and Thunder Bay, Ont., police […]

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Why does US see Chinese owned TikTok as a security threat?

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. lawmakers have grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about data security and harmful content, with some pushing to ban the popular short-video app nationwide. Chew, a native of Singapore, told the lawmakers that TikTok prioritizes user safety as he sought to avert a U.S. ban on the app by downplaying its […]

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How Medical Bills Can Slam a Newcomer to BC

Holly Noot had spent eight hours in excruciating labour at home in Courtenay before her midwife said she needed to go to the hospital. Despite frequent contractions, Noot’s baby wasn’t progressing into the birth canal. It was two in the morning and Noot, 34, was exhausted, stressed and in pain. But all she could think […]

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China criticizes possible US plan to force TikTok sale

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government said Thursday it would oppose possible U.S. plans to force TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell the short-video service as a security risk and warned such a move would hurt investor confidence in the United States. Governments are worried TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users […]

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