BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
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Cougar blamed for killing three sheep and an emu on Vancouver Island
Residents of a Vancouver Island community are sounding the alarm after blaming an aggressive cougar for killing three sheep and an emu in the past week. The owners of the Truffle Farm in Parksville, B.C., about 155 kilometres northwest of Victoria, say they found two of their sheep dead from an apparent cougar attack Saturday…
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Groups sue Alaska election officials, allege the sharing of voter data with DOJ was unconstitutional
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Voting and civil rights groups sued Alaska elections officials Wednesday, alleging that their sharing of the state’s full voter registration list with the U.S. Department of Justice violates the state constitution. Alaska is one of at least 12 states that has provided or said it would provide detailed information about its…
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Yelp introduces an AI chatbot to help users sift local recommendations
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Online review aggregator Yelp wants to harness artificial intelligence to make it easier for users to find information curated by other people. Although Yelp’s users have always been able to dive into its reservoir of 330 million local business reviews, they sometimes find themselves drowning in a sea of commentary from…
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RCMP make arrest, urge people to be wary of cold calls offering phone upgrades
RCMP in Alberta are warning people to be careful if they get a call out of the blue asking them if they want to upgrade their phone. Police say fraudsters are cold calling people asking if they want an upgrade. They say it all sounds very legitimate and the fraudsters will try to pry personal…
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Ford says privacy commissioner opposing record restrictions ‘politically driven’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday he believes the information and privacy commissioner, who is speaking out about changes he is making to freedom-of-information laws, is “politically driven.” The government announced this month that records of the premier, cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and their offices will no longer be subject to public disclosure. Ford said…
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Here’s how to recycle those old laptops, iPhones and earbuds lying around
Many consumers are guilty of filling drawers or closets with old laptops, cellphones, fitness trackers and other electronic devices once they are no longer needed. It’s hard to know where to recycle those items, or it seems costly and inconvenient. The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste — also called e-waste — each…
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Jury begins deliberations in landmark New Mexico trial over children’s safety risks on Meta
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A jury began deliberations Monday in a landmark trial in New Mexico where social media conglomerate Meta is accused of misleading its users about how safe its platforms are for children. Meta’s attorneys dispute the claims and say the company provides built-in protections for teenagers and weeds out harmful content…
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License plate reader cameras abound in Nevada. The state has no laws to regulate them.
At least five cities and counties in the state — including Clark County, Reno and Sparks — have penned agreements with an automated license plate reader company called Flock Safety in the past three years. It’s brought in a new wave of cameras that collect data such as license plate information and the make and…
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Ontario legislature resumes, access to Premier Doug Ford’s cellphone records at issue
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s cellphone records took centre stage as the provincial legislature resumed sitting Monday for the first time since December, with the opposition accusing the premier of having something to hide. One of the many pieces of legislation the government has signalled it will introduce during the spring sitting is a bill to…
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Ontario legislature resumes; questions on transparency, OSAP expected
Ontario’s provincial members of parliament are heading back to Queen’s Park today, as the legislature sits for the first time since December. The governing Progressive Conservatives recessed the legislature on Dec. 11 for an unusually long winter break, which the opposition has called undemocratic. The spring session should be a busy one, with the budget…
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Records reveal murky ownership of former GM site after years of failed rehabilitation
As emails to the City, provincial ministries and the property’s owner go unanswered, residents concerned about the former General Motors property in St. Catharines say they are growing increasingly frustrated about the derelict, contaminated site next to the heart of the city. The giant 55 acre former GM plant has been decommissioned and out of…