BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
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LGBTQ refugee group says number of requests for help has increased
An organization that helps LGBTQ+ people file refugee claims says it has seen a spike in pleas for assistance from around the world since 2020. Devon Matthews, program head with Rainbow Railroad, said the explosion in the number of requests for help reflects a trend of nations backsliding on LGBTQ rights — or even embracing…
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Team raises internet safety and fraud awareness in local communities, Sessions help rural seniors fight back against scammers
GUYSBOROUGH – In rural Nova Scotia, a team of women from four organizations is ensuring womeniors and others are kept in the loop and aware of the dangers that lurk online. Travelling throughout Antigonish and Guysborough counties, the team gives a collaborative presentation focused on fraud prevention, online safety and scam awareness. Each presenter speaks…
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Hundreds of groups call on Ottawa to scrap border bill over privacy, rights concerns
More than 300 civil society organizations are calling on the Liberal government to withdraw its new border bill, saying the legislation threatens liberties, refugee and migrant rights and the privacy of all Canadians. Representatives of four major coalitions held a news conference today to ramp up pressure on Ottawa to scrap the proposed Strong Borders…
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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…
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Your Medical Info Is Not Safe: BC Privacy Watchdog
Provincial health officials haven’t done enough to protect British Columbians’ personal health information from abuse and hacking despite knowing about vulnerabilities for years, a new investigation from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has found. A 2019 internal risk assessment found the Provincial Public Health Information System, run by the Provincial Health Services Authority, lacked…
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N.W.T. announces latest case of private health information mishandled
YELLOWKNIFE — A privacy breach affecting people who stayed at a COVID-19 isolation centre is the latest in a long line of cases of health information being mishandled in the Northwest Territories. Late last week, the N.W.T. Department of Health and Social Services issued notice of the “low-risk” breach involving about 2,000 COVID-19 isolation forms,…
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Elon Musk claims he was doxxed. But what exactly is that?
NEW YORK (AP) — When Twitter abruptly suspended the accounts of several journalists with no explanation, the platform’s owner Elon Musk hinted at the possible reason: They allegedly doxxed him. “You dox, you get suspended. End of story. That’s it,” he said on a Twitter Space audio discussion late Thursday, referring to the act of…
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Personal health information ‘disturbingly’ vulnerable: B.C. privacy commissioner
VICTORIA — Sensitive personal health records of British Columbia residents, from mental health to sexually transmitted disease histories, are “disturbingly” vulnerable to leaks, the provincial privacy watchdog says. Information and privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy says in a report released by his office Thursday that security gaps in the public health computer system put it at…
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Georgia, NH latest states to ban TikTok from state computers
ATLANTA (AP) — Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia and Chris Sununu of New Hampshire on Thursday immediately banned the use of TikTok and popular messaging applications from all computer devices controlled by their state governments, saying the Chinese government may be able to access users’ personal information. Both Republican governors banned the messaging app WeChat…
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Sobeys parent company Empire says cyberattack expected to cost $25M after insurance
Sobeys parent company Empire Co. Ltd. has shared new details on a cyberattack that shut down its pharmacy services and other in-store functions last month. The security breach in early November left customers unable to fill prescriptions for four days, while other in-store functions like self-checkout machines, gift card use and the redemption of loyalty…
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Alberta care home worker shared photos of residents, used bug eyes filter
LAMONT, Alta. — An Alberta health-care worker has been sentenced for taking and sharing photos of long-term care residents, including one that was distorted with a filter. The Lamont Health Care Centre reported the matter to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, which laid charges last year under the province’s Health Information Act. The…