BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
-
Privacy Commissioner says stronger data laws needed as Canada readies for Chinese EVs
Canada’s privacy commissioner says he hopes laws around private sector data sharing are strengthened as the federal government prepares to open the domestic market to Chinese electric vehicles. Speaking to the standing committee on science and research, Philippe Dufresne said Thursday he hopes that Parliament will modernize private sector privacy laws on a number of…
-
Massachusetts legal aid program helps immigrants in immigration court
Alma Cothias came to the Massa Viana Law office around 8:45 a.m., just as she does most mornings, right after dropping her children off at school. She made her coffee, sat down at her desk, put on some electronic dance music and started some administrative tasks to ease into the day. Cothias said she was…
-
Ford promises no more inmates will be improperly released from jail
A “furious” Premier Doug Ford has promised to keep all inmates behind bars after news broke that more than 150 of them were improperly released from jails across Ontario over the last few years. Ford and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner both admitted that jails and courts have released inmates by mistake. “I’m getting down to…
-
Information commissioner ‘disappointed’ by lack of federal ambition on access reform
The federal information watchdog says she’s surprised that government proposals for updating the Access to Information Act avoid “the most pressing issue” dogging the system — unacceptable delays in answering requests. Information commissioner Caroline Maynard says most of the complaints her office receives relate to the failure of federal departments and agencies to respond to…
-
TikTok to continue operating in Canada, subject to safety conditions
TikTok is being allowed to continue its operations in Canada after the government wrapped up a national security review. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says the decision hinges on key conditions, including for TikTok to bring in stronger protections for minors and the personal information of all Canadians. The minister says the decision will also save…
-
Montreal teacher challenges policy for trans students to hide identity from parents
Quebec’s Superior Court heard arguments Friday in a case about a high school teacher who alleges her Charter rights were violated when she was ordered to hide a student’s gender identity from their parents. The teacher, identified only through the initials A.B. in court documents, alleges she was asked to use masculine pronouns for the…
-
Woman says she felt like a ‘prisoner’ during 1992 encounter with Quebec cardinal
Two women testified on Friday to experiencing alleged inappropriate behaviour from Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet, including one who told the court she felt like a “prisoner” during a 1992 encounter. Marie-Louise Moreau testified that Ouellet came up behind her while she was preparing items for a mass in Montreal, put his hands on either side…
-
Videos show US citizen’s shooting death in Texas last year by federal immigration agent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly released videos showing the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal immigration agent in Texas last year call into question assertions by the Department of Homeland Security that a driver intentionally rammed an agent with his car immediately before he was killed. The videos, including from officer body cameras,…
-
Questions remain as CAO placed on leave
At a special meeting held on the evening of Monday March 2, Drayton Valley town council placed CAO Jocelyn Whaley on a paid leave of absence. “Council called a special meeting of council at 7 p.m. last night to discuss legal matters and employment issues,” said acting CAO Jennifer Stone. “Because of the Access to…
-
Privacy Commissioner probe finds Loblaw took too long to delete PC Optimum accounts
An investigation by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has found that Loblaw took too long to address requests from customers who wanted to delete their PC Optimum accounts. The office on Thursday said Loblaw had the mechanism to respond to requests but took an unreasonable amount of time to address them, and that it also…
-
Village of Granisle, B.C., faces lawsuit over aluminum-contaminated water
Soon after Rhiana Stryd moved to the scenic lakeside Village of Granisle in British Columbia’s northern Interior in the fall of 2024, she says she began noticing her parents’ health going downhill, while she was vomiting every day for months. Stryd said that when her daughter visited, she got sick too. Their health woes prompted…