BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Privacy and hunger groups sue over USDA attempt to collect personal data of SNAP recipients
Privacy and hunger relief groups and a handful of people receiving food assistance benefits are suing the federal government over the Trump administration’s attempts to collect the personal information of millions of U.S. residents who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., on Thursday says the U.S. Department of Agriculture…
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Local dog-kennel owners request exemption from microchipping requirement in amended Wellesley bylaw
A new amendment to the Township of Wellesley’s dog-kennel bylaw removing tattooing as an acceptable form of identification for dogs and puppies, thereby leaving microchipping as the only option locally, has several local kennel owners questioning the future of their operations. At township council’s May 13 meeting, councillors heard from two local kennel owners seeking…
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Nova Scotia Power confirms server breach was ‘sophisticated’ ransomware attack
Nova Scotia Power confirmed on Friday what cybersecurity experts have suspected for weeks — that it was the victim of a ransomware attack. In an update posted to its website, the private utility said that no payment was made to the person or group behind the “sophisticated” attack. It refused to pay the ransom, it…
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Northern Ireland police chief resigns after controversies including huge data breach
LONDON (AP) — Northern Ireland’s top police officer resigned Monday following a series of controversies that plagued the police force, including what he described as an “industrial scale” data breach. The Northern Ireland Policing Board confirmed that Simon Byrne has resigned as chief constable, with immediate effect. Byrne faced growing pressure to step down since…
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CSIS disinformation campaign leans on Soviet imagery, as Ottawa tracks ‘grey media’
OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency is leaning on Soviet imagery to help prime the public against disinformation but experts say Moscow is more likely to use images that make readers think the messaging is coming from North American sources. Last month, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service started posting on social media about its efforts to…
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A federal judge strikes down a Texas law requiring age verification to view pornographic websites
A federal judge has struck down a Texas law requiring age verification and health warnings to view pornographic websites and blocked the state attorney general’s office from enforcing it. In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge David Ezra agreed with claims that House Bill 1181, which was signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott…
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Pierre Trudeau spy unit reflects secrecy of Ottawa toward Quebec sovereignty
MONTREAL — New revelations about a secret anti-sovereigntist spy unit in the office of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau are a sign of how much remains unknown about the federal government’s response to the Quebec independence movement. According to a recently published paper, the Prime Minister’s Office in the 1970s created the spy group to…
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Judge blocks Arkansas law requiring parental OK for minors to create social media accounts
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing a new law that would have required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts, preventing the state from becoming the first to impose such a restriction. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks granted a preliminary injunction that…