BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
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Senate confirms Bisignano to lead Social Security Administration as agency faces DOGE overhaul
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wall Street veteran Frank Bisignano was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to lead the Social Security Administration, taking over at a turbulent time for the agency that provides benefits to more than 70 million Americans. The Senate confirmed Bisignano in a 53-47 vote. Bisignano’s confirmation comes after a months-long series of…
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Alberta ramps up measles vaccination push as 3 children in intensive care
Alberta’s government says three children are in intensive care in hospital after contracting measles. A health ministry spokesperson declined to disclose their ages, citing privacy concerns. At a news conference Monday, Dr. Sunil Sookram, Alberta’s interim chief medical officer of health, said there have been no deaths. Sookram said the risk of getting the highly…
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Washington lawyer sues Trump administration over revocation of security clearance
WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Washington attorney sued the Trump administration Monday over the revocation of his security clearance, calling it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardizes his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, challenges a March presidential memorandum that singled…
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What is Threads? All your questions about Meta’s new Twitter rival, answered
NEW YORK (AP) — Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries — including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan. Despite some early glitches, 30 million people…
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TikTok and 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning app
TikTok Inc. and a group of five content creators who are suing the state of Montana over its first-in-the-nation law to ban the video sharing app are now asking a federal judge to block implementation of the law while the case moves through the courts and before it takes effect in January. The separate requests…
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Airbnb wins Vancouver privacy ruling, as court quashes order to release host data
Vancouver housing activist Rohana Rezel has had a beef with Airbnb and the City of Vancouver for years, and a B.C. Supreme Court ruling this week means there’s no end in sight. Rezel had made Freedom of Information requests to the city in 2019, seeking information about the hosts of short-term rentals. But the city…
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Suncor cyberattackers obtained Petro Points members’ contact information
CALGARY — Suncor Energy Inc. says the cyberattack that affected the company’s Petro-Canada retail chain also resulted in the leakage of some customer data. The Calgary-based energy company says the cybercriminals accessed the company’s Petro-Points rewards program and obtained members’ basic contact information. Suncor says it is notifying Petro-Points members and privacy regulators, and will…
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Meta takes aim at Twitter with the launch of rival app Threads
LONDON — Meta has unveiled an app called Threads to rival Twitter, targeting users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned — and frequently changed — by Elon Musk. Threads is billed as a text-based version of Meta’s photo-sharing app Instagram that the company says provides “a new, separate space for real-time…
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Kids Help Phone seeking help from AI tech to meet demand for mental health support
TORONTO — Kids Help Phone says it’s turning to artificial intelligence to help respond to the “enormous need” as more and more young people reach out for mental health help and support. “Young people are changing fast and technology is changing faster,” said Michael Cole, senior vice-president and chief information officer for Kids Help Phone.…
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After secret documents leak, Pentagon plans tighter controls to protect classified information
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon on Wednesday announced plans to tighten protection for classified information following the explosive leaks of hundreds of intelligence documents that were accessed through security gaps at a Massachusetts Air National Guard base. Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira, 21, is accused of leaking the highly classified military documents in a chatroom…