BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
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Workplace assessment of RCMP watchdog found ‘clear call for change,’ documents show
An independent assessment of the RCMP watchdog, prompted by an anonymous email from employees, uncovered concerns about favouritism, a lack of transparency, heavy workloads and “a toxic environment.” The workplace assessment of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP found “a clear call for change and action at the leadership level to restore…
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In American life, a growing and forbidding visual rises: The law-enforcement officer in a mask
NEW YORK (AP) — In a matter of months, it has become a regular sight around the country — immigration enforcement agents detaining people and taking them into custody, often as public anger and outcry unfold around them. But in the process, something has disappeared: the agents’ faces, covered by caps, sunglasses, pulled-up neck gaiters…
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Judge rules hotel arrestee’s rights weren’t breached
A Provincial Court judge in Prince George dismissed a man’s constitutional challenge of his arrest at a local hotel. Jamie Hal Hammerstrom, born in 1978, is charged with possession of a firearm contrary to order, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition and wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.…
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AP Exclusive: EPA didn’t declare a public health emergency after fiery Ohio derailment
The aftermath of last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented, federal officials said. The Environmental Protection Agency never approved that designation after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment even though the disaster forced the evacuation of…
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PEI’s electric bus fleet proves to be high maintenance
Compared to the province’s fleet of older fossil fuel buses, a significant percentage of new electrics are out of order at any given time, according to a January email from the Public Schools Branch’s director of transportation, Dave Gillis, to Norbert Carpenter, Deputy Minister of Environment. The email was obtained by The Graphic through a…
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Judge sides with conservative group in its push to access, publish voter rolls online
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico election officials violated public disclosure provisions of the National Voter Registration Act by refusing to provide voter rolls to a conservative group and its public online database, a federal judge has ruled. The opinion and order Friday from Albuquerque-based U.S. District Court Judge James Browning mostly sided with…
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Illinois Republicans propose overhaul for Gov. Pritzker’s ‘anti-victim’ parole board after stabbing
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Senate’s minority leader proposed legislation Tuesday to overhaul Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Prisoner Review Board after it released a convicted domestic abuser who then attacked a pregnant Chicago woman with a knife and fatally stabbed her 11-year-old son. Republican Leader John Curran criticized Pritzker and said he plans legislation to…
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School board social media lawsuits: For too long we’ve sought individual solutions to a collective problem
This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. ___ Four of the largest school boards in Canada are suing the companies behind popular social media apps Instagram and Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok. According to…
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Browsing in incognito mode doesn’t protect you as much as you might think
NEW YORK (AP) — Although a private browsing mode known as “Incognito” in Google’s widely used Chrome browser has been available for nearly a decade, a legal settlement involving the way it works has casting new attention on this commonly available setting. The settlement disclosed Monday in a federal court is primarily designed to ensure…
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Here’s how to protect yourself from common scams this tax season
NEW YORK (AP) — Tax season can come with several headaches, from gathering documents to finding the time to sit down and file. But one pain that you want to avoid is falling for a tax scam. Year-round, scammers look for ways to trick people into giving them money or personal information. There are several…
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Google to purge billions of files containing personal data in settlement of Chrome privacy case
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has agreed to purge billions of records containing personal information collected from more than 136 million people in the U.S. surfing the internet through its Chrome web browser. The records purge comes as part of a settlement in a lawsuit accusing the search giant of illegal surveillance. The details of…