BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Ontario boosts autism budget to $779M, advocates question where money is going
Ontario is increasing funding for its autism program to $779 million this year, the government announced in this week’s budget, but advocates say it’s not yet clear exactly where that money will go. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s budget, tabled Thursday, contains two lines on the Ontario Autism Program, including touting the new funding. Children, Community…
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University of Winnipeg employee calls for investigation into university’s leadership under whistleblower law
A University of Winnipeg employee has filed a whistleblower report that calls for a probe into overall operations at the post-secondary institution amid mounting concerns about its leadership. The Free Press obtained a six-page submission to the Manitoba ombudsman about the publicly funded institution under president Todd Mondor. It echoes concerns on campus about employee…
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Coinbase said cyber crooks stole customer information and demanded $20 million ransom payment
Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange based in the U.S., said Thursday that criminals had improperly obtained personal data on the exchange’s customers for use in crypto-stealing scams and were demanding a $20 million payment not to publicly release the info. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said in a social media post that criminals had bribed some…
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‘Gag by-law to selfishly protect incumbents’: Rowena Santos’s Brampton outdoor election sign ban challenged by Canadian Constitutional Foundation
“In selfishly protecting their incumbent positions with this by-law by banning outdoor election signs outdoors on private property, Brampton politicians have trampled on the rights of residents to express their political opinions in the most crucial time — during an election.” That was the stinging statement by Christine Van Geyn, the Canadian Constitution Foundation’s litigation director, who…
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Documents appearing to come from government sent to Muslim charity were forged: RCMP
OTTAWA — The RCMP confirmed Tuesday that documents sent to the Muslim Association of Canada that appeared to be internal records of the Canada Revenue Agency and the Mounties are forgeries. The Globe and Mail reported last week that the association had been sent records, which the newspaper determined to be fake, that implied both…
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Police seize on COVID-19 tech to expand global surveillance
JERUSALEM (AP) — Majd Ramlawi was serving coffee in Jerusalem’s Old City when a chilling text message appeared on his phone. “You have been spotted as having participated in acts of violence in the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” it read in Arabic. “We will hold you accountable.” Ramlawi, then 19, was among hundreds of people who civil…
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SickKids reports cybersecurity issue affecting some phone lines and web pages
TORONTO — Some phone lines and internal clinical systems at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children have been affected by a “cybersecurity incident,” but the hospital says there’s no indication personal health information has been compromised. Canada’s largest pediatric health-care centre said a Code Grey — the hospital code for system failure — was called Sunday…
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Royal couple’s three day visit to Canada for Platinum Jubilee cost at least $1M
OTTAWA — Canadian taxpayers spent at least $1 million hosting King Charles III, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, when he visited Canada earlier this year. The RCMP provided a breakdown of the nearly $450,000 in costs it incurred for his three-day visit in May, accompanied by Queen Consort Camilla, who was then the…
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RCMP saw potential wolf human ‘conflict’ as zoo said no risk: B.C. escape documents
VANCOUVER — Internal RCMP documents show police saw potential for human-wolf “conflict” after the animals escaped their enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in August, while the facility announced there was no danger to the public. The zoo in Aldergrove was shut for three days from Aug. 16 as workers and conservation officers searched for…
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Fortnite maker to pay $520M for privacy, e commerce abuses
The maker of the popular Fortnite video game will pay $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints revolving around children’s privacy and its payment methods that tricked players into making unintended purchases, U.S. federal regulators said Monday. The Federal Trade Commission reached the settlements to resolve two cases against Epic Games Inc., which…