BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
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LRSD reviews policies as archived data accessed in PowerSchool breach
Livingstone Range School Division says student and staff information stored on an old PowerSchool server was accessed in last winter’s cybersecurity breach. The revelation comes as Alberta’s privacy commissioner concludes school authorities across the province failed to meet required security standards. Jeff Perry, associate superintendent of business services at LRSD, confirmed that archived records covering…
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Maya, 17, got mental health records by FOI, then killed herself. Her mom wants reform
Maya Cassady was just two months away from graduating high school with honours when she obtained her mental health records through a freedom of information request. Just hours after reading the contents, which included doctors’ ponderings about a diagnosis, the 17-year-old took her own life. It was March 30, 2023. Since Maya’s death, her mother,…
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Concerns raised about AI-powered toys and creativity, development as holiday shopping peaks
As parents hunt for gifts that will wow their kids this holiday season, Canadian child development and psychology experts say they should be wary of AI-powered toys because of possible harms, ranging from privacy and security violations to interference with children’s creativity and development. “Early childhood is a time where the developing brain is a…
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Raven ReCentre and Community Services face off over contract changes
Raven ReCentre said it was knocked off a government contract without notification: Yukon Community Services said that’s not the case at all. The recycling centre in downtown Whitehorse alleges that the Yukon government took them off a transportation contract for shipping recyclables from the communities out of the territory. But the minister of community services,…
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Ex-FBI agent who accused agency of political bias is charged with disclosing confidential records
NEW YORK (AP) — An FBI agent who publicly accused the agency of a pro-Trump bias has been arrested and charged with disclosing confidential records after authorities say he included sensitive material about investigations and informants into a draft of his memoir. Johnathan Buma, who claimed in 2023 that the FBI went after President Joe…
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The family of an airplane safety whistleblower is suing Boeing over his death
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The family of a former Boeing quality control manager who police say killed himself after lawyers questioned him for days about his whistleblowing on alleged jumbo jet defects sued the airplane maker Thursday. Boeing subjected John Barnett to a “campaign of harassment, abuse and intimidation intended to discourage, discredit and humiliate…
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DOGE blocked in court from Social Security systems with Americans’ personal information, for now
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from Social Security systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans, calling their work there a “fishing expedition.” The order also requires the team to delete any personally identifiable data in their possession. U.S. District Judge Ellen…
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People named in JFK assassination documents are not happy their personal information was released
Sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers was revealed in the newly unredacted John F. Kennedy assassination documents released this week, and that is not sitting well with the people affected. Joseph diGenova, a former campaign lawyer for President Donald Trump, was among those whose personal information was disclosed. He said he is planning to…
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Former NFL, Michigan assistant coach Matt Weiss charged with hacking for athletes’ intimate photos
DETROIT (AP) — Former NFL and University of Michigan assistant football coach Matt Weiss hacked into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes seeking intimate photos and videos, according to an indictment filed Thursday. Weiss, who worked for the Baltimore Ravens before joining Michigan’s staff in 2021, was charged with 14 counts of unauthorized…
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Alberta proposes oil-site trespass bill to keep federal workers from grabbing data
Alberta’s government is proposing a law it says would ban federal employees from going on any oil-related sites — from wellheads to corporate head offices — but critics say the province doesn’t have the legal right to do so. Premier Danielle Smith said Wednesday the goal is to keep federal staffers away from any place…
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March is Fraud Prevention Month
March is Fraud Prevention Month and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre together with police services is reminding people to be aware of and on the lookout for potential fraud. According to Statistics Canada, fraud cases in Canada have almost doubled over the past ten years, surging from 79,000 in 2012 to 150,000 in 2022. This increase…