BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Manitoba conservation officers, tasked with border duties, haven’t seen much
It’s been 11 months since Manitoba started using conservation officers as extra sets of eyes on the United States border in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that migrants and drug-smugglers were pouring in from Canada. And it turns out they haven’t seen much at all. “To my knowledge, there was actually no activity…
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Company lobbying Alberta on AI integration in digital IDs and traffic lights
From cryptocurrency markets to digital ID to AI controlled traffic lights, a little-known company is lobbying the Alberta government on a host of policies. Bryan Burns, CoinCorp Corporation’s director, registered as a lobbyist for the company in Alberta on Nov. 17. The lobbying filing shows CoinCorp plans to communicate with the government about incorporating AI…
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Premier blasts N.S. Power’s cyberattack response, weighs fine for utility
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says he is disappointed with how the privately owned provincial utility responded to a cyberattack earlier this year. The cyberattack struck Nova Scotia Power last April, disrupting some systems at the utility and prompting complaints from a number of customers about who had gained access to their personal information. Houston…
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Protesters block traffic in Hungary in opposition to new law banning LGBTQ+ Pride events
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Several thousand protesters blocked a major thoroughfare in the center of Hungary’s capital on Tuesday in opposition to a recent law that effectively bans LGBTQ+ Pride events and restricts Hungarians’ right to assembly. The demonstration was the second within a week since Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party used its two-thirds parliamentary majority…
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School workers’ new deal includes wins for wages, school safety
Over 5,000 education workers in Nova Scotia have signed a new two-year deal with the province, after nearly a year of bargaining. In a member update Sunday night, the council of eight local union presidents told members they were “proud of what we have achieved” and that getting this deal “showed us what we can…
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Internal report finds major flaws in program to recruit foreign nurses to Quebec
Foreign nurses recruited to Quebec through a provincial government program faced “major obstacles” upon their arrival, including a lack of housing, child care and transportation, according to an internal report. A rigorous training schedule, culture shock and fear of failure caused severe stress among the recruits, says the report produced by the province’s Immigration Department.…
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23andMe files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as co-founder and CEO Wojcicki resigns
23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its co-founder and CEO has resigned as the struggling genetic testing company continues its push to cut costs. The company said Sunday that it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan. The San Francisco-based company also said Anne Wojcicki…
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Tax season is a prime time for scams. IRS uncertainty could add to the issues this year
NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a lot of information (and money) on the table during tax season. That also makes it a prime time for scams. Year-round, fraudsters may use a handful of common tactics to try to steal your identity, money or other sensitive information. As you prepare your annual tax return, due April…
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Judge blocks DOGE from accessing sensitive information at US agencies
A federal judge on Monday blocked billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing people’s private data at the Education Department, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction in a case filed last month by a coalition of labor unions in federal court…
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23andMe files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as co-founder and CEO Wojcicki resigns
NEW YORK (AP) — 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its co-founder and CEO has resigned as the struggling genetic testing company continues its push to cut costs. San Francisco-based 23andMe announced on Sunday that it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan. Anne Wojcicki,…
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Former NFL and college assistant coach pleads not guilty to hacking for women’s images
DETROIT (AP) — A judge entered a not-guilty plea Monday for a former Baltimore Ravens and University of Michigan assistant football coach who is charged with hacking into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes to find intimate images, primarily of women. Matt Weiss’ appearance in federal court in Detroit was brief and came…