BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Oscar-nominated documentary ‘Black Box Diaries’ has delayed premiere in Japan after legal issues
TOKYO (AP) — “Black Box Diaries,” a documentary in which Japanese journalist Shiori Ito investigates her own sexual assault case and the barriers she faced in pursuing justice, has been screened widely abroad since its 2024 festival debut and earned an Oscar nomination early this year. It finally premiered in Japan on Friday, a long-delayed…
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What to know about Trump’s executive order to curtail state AI regulations
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday pressuring states not to regulate artificial intelligence. Trump and some Republicans argue that the limited regulations already enacted by states, and others that might follow, will dampen innovation and growth for the technology. Critics from both political parties — as well as civil liberties and consumer rights…
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Justice Department sues 4 more states for access to detailed voter data
The U.S. Justice Department is suing four more states as part of its effort to collect detailed voting data and other election information across the country. The department filed federal lawsuits against Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada on Thursday for “failing to produce statewide voter registration lists upon request.” So far, 18 states have been…
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Arbitrator rules company breached worker’s privacy with drug and alcohol test
An arbitrator found a contractor on the $18 billion LNG Canada project in Kitimat violated a worker’s right to privacy and bodily integrity when he underwent a drug and alcohol test after a minor injury. “I conclude that (Altrad Services Ltd.) did not establish a significant incident warranting an inquiry into post-incident testing and would…
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Iowa governor sues the Des Moines Register to stop request of emails she claims are protected
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s governor on Friday sued the Des Moines Register over the newspaper’s open records request, asking the court to validate her office’s withholding of certain emails she claims are protected. A Register reporter submitted a records request in February to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office, according to the complaint. In response,…
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Vancouver Police Board says report on complaint of arrest quotas coming in June
The Vancouver Police Board says a “full report” into a complaint about political motivations and arrest quotas for a crack down on crime in the Downtown Eastside will be delivered in June. Director Allan Black has told a board meeting the complaint centred on the Vancouver Police Department’s “recent expectation of setting arrest quotas,” and…
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Slovaks rally to condemn legislation they say would harm nongovernmental groups
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Protesters rallied in Slovakia’s capital and several other cities Thursday to condemn legislation approved by Parliament that they say could curb free expression and hamper the work of nongovernmental organizations. People who gathered at Bratislava’s Freedom Square compared the measure to Russia’s “foreign agent” law, which has been criticized as repressive,…
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Trump science cuts target bird feeder research, AI literacy work and more
Ashley Dayer’s dream of winning a National Science Foundation grant to pursue discoveries in bird conservation started when she was an early-career professor with an infant in her arms and a shoestring laboratory budget. Competition is intense for NSF grants, a key source of funding for science research at U.S. universities. It took three failed…
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CAJ hands dubious honour to federal government over Residential School records
The Canadian Association of Journalists bestowed a dubious honour on the federal government last week over its policy of fighting Indigenous groups over access to records from Residential Schools for the last decade. The CAJ made the federal government the 2024 recipient of the federal Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy…
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B.C. Court of Appeal tosses ICBC appeal of $15,000 per person for privacy breach
The B.C. Court of Appeal has dismissed a bid by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to reduce damages awarded in a class-action lawsuit for privacy violations by a former employee that set off “arson and shooting attacks.” The court ruled Wednesday that $15,000 per class member awarded by the lower court was appropriate, rejecting the…
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VPD whistleblower alleges arrest quotas in Downtown Eastside crackdown
The Vancouver Police Board must look into an officer’s allegation that arrest quotas have been issued as part of Mayor Ken Sim’s “Task Force Barrage” initiative in the Downtown Eastside, British Columbia’s police watchdog says. An email from the anonymous whistleblower is on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting of the board along with a corresponding…