BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
-
When it comes to reporting on mass killings, some in Europe take a different approach from Americans
When a 21-year-old former student opened fire inside his school in Austria’s second-biggest city earlier this week, killing 10 people, it didn’t take long for the Alpine country’s press council to call on journalists to show restraint when reporting about the victims and their families. The appeal essentially reminded journalists covering the school shooting —…
-
Some Newfoundland hydrogen companies behind in bills as industry hype ‘boils off’
Newfoundland and Labrador is owed millions of dollars in fees from green energy companies, underlining growing doubts about whether promises of major projects and multi-billion dollar investments will pan out. Six companies are vying to create new operations in the province that would use wind energy to produce hydrogen for exports overseas. Figures obtained by…
-
Controversial Alberta private health centre helped behind the scenes by Airdrie mayor, documents reveal
Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown provided extensive behind the scenes help to a controversial private health care centre, according to emails obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation. The City of Airdrie has publicly claimed it did not help develop a proposal for the centre, which would be Alberta’s first urgent care centre not run by the…
-
Black people disproportionately stopped, searched by Toronto police: report
Black people in Toronto are disproportionately stopped and searched by police despite the Ontario government’s efforts to regulate so-called “street checks,” the Ontario Human Rights Commission reported Thursday as it concluded a multi-year inquiry into anti-Black racism and discrimination within the Toronto force. While official street checks appear to have been effectively eliminated, with only…
-
Senate bill would require age verification for Canadians accessing porn sites
A Senate bill that would require Canadians to verify their age to access internet porn is proceeding without the support of the Liberal government, which warns the bill does too little to protect children from online harm. Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, an Independent Senators Group member and sponsor of the bill, said she can’t understand why…
-
Ontario reversing course on Region of Peel dissolution, cites tax hike concerns
TORONTO — Ontario reversed course Wednesday on its plan to dissolve the Region of Peel, citing concerns about tax hikes in an about-face that has come to typify the latter half of the year for Premier Doug Ford’s government, in particular on the housing file. A transition board that has been working on the dissolution…
-
“Alarming” number of deportations caused by Canada’s restrictive immigration system, advocates say
Canada’s cumbersome immigration system is leading to an “alarming” number of migrants being deported every day back to potentially dangerous situations, advocates have revealed. The Migrant Rights Network released data last week showing at least 39 people were deported daily in the first half of 2023, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2021 mandate letter calling…
-
AI generated hoaxes pose a ‘persistent threat’ to public safety: intel analysis
OTTAWA — Violent extremists who lack the means to carry out an attack in Canada could compensate by perpetrating hoaxes with the help of artificial intelligence, says a newly released analysis. The May report by the federal Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre, obtained through the Access to Information Act, warns that such visual trickery, known as…
-
AI systems ‘can be weaponized,’ warns top U.S. cyber official in promoting safeguards
OTTAWA — Top cybersecurity officials are urging technology firms to bake safeguards into the futuristic artificial intelligence systems they’re cooking up, to prevent them from being sabotaged or misused for malicious purposes. Without the right guardrails, it will be easier for rogue nations, terrorists and others to exploit rapidly emerging AI systems to commit cyberattacks…
-
Federal dental insurance program to be phased in over 2024, benefits to start in May
OTTAWA — The new federal dental insurance plan will be phased in gradually over 2024, with the first claims likely to be processed in May, government officials said ahead of a formal announcement scheduled for Monday morning. Applications are expected to open as early as next week, starting with qualifying seniors over the age of…
-
At UN climate talks, cameras are everywhere. Many belong to Emirati company with a murky history
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — At the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit in Dubai, surveillance cameras seem to be everywhere you turn. And that has some worried. It’s unclear how the United Arab Emirates, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms, uses the footage it gathers across its extensive network. However, the country already has…