BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Essex gives final approval for personal watercraft business to lease space at Colchester Harbour
Town of Essex Council has approved a by-law that will allow Jet Wave – a business looking to rent out personal motorized watercrafts – to lease space at the Colchester Harbour. The business will be able to lease space on the north-side of D Dock, as a result, in addition to space for a 10’by10’…
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Bring military, spy agencies under federal whistleblower law, review report urges
A federal review report says members of the military and key spy agencies should be able to expose wrongdoing and file complaints through the government’s whistleblowing regime. The recommendation is among almost three dozen suggested changes in the newly released review of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. The law, which came into force in…
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Health data of 500,000 members of a UK project offered for sale online in China
LONDON (AP) — DNA and other confidential health data from 500,000 people who volunteered for a massive U.K. health study were offered for sale online in China following a data breach this week, the British government said Thursday. The information from the U.K. Biobank database was found listed for sale on the website Alibaba, but…
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Cochrane makes changes after audit finds serious issues
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…
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New York Times accuses Pentagon of flouting judge’s order blocking its press access policy
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…
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Hacked hospitals, hidden spyware: Iran conflict shows how digital fight is ingrained in warfare
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…
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In the wake of US social media verdicts, a look at what limits other countries have imposed for kids
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…
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Georgia’s Fulton County and the Trump administration square off in court over seized 2020 ballots
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…
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Opposition fears Doug Ford’s omnibus budget bill will be fast-tracked through to law
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…
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Quebec Superior Court authorizes class action against Uber over cancellation fees
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…
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Indonesia starts implementing social media restrictions for children under 16
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…