BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Alberta premier says law changes to be assessed after probes into voter list breach
Premier Danielle Smith says her government will look at new legislation depending on what comes out of investigations into claims a separatist group breached the personal information of nearly three million Albertans. Smith made the comment Friday as the provincial privacy watchdog called for broader reforms and election officials said legislative changes last year stopped…
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New video surveillance policy updates receive OK from Oliver Council
Updates to Oliver’s video surveillance policy ensuring better chain of responsibility and adherence to protection of privacy have been approved by Council. At the April 27 Regular Council meeting, updates to the Town’s Video Surveillance Cameras Policy was discussed and approved. A significant aspect of the updates includes a clearer explanation of the chain of…
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Access to information: N.L. failed to make public over 1,000 responses in a single year
Newfoundland and Labrador is often touted as a leader in Canada when it comes to freedom of information legislation, but new information disclosed, appropriately enough, in response to an access to information request, paints the province in a different light. After the government responds to an access request, it’s supposed to post its response publicly…
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Mayor and councillor breach code of conduct
Erin Lamb, whose name was disclosed without authorization after anonymously filing complaints against the Three Rivers mayor and a councillor, said she was expecting an apology from the town which she never received. “I filed a complaint with the ombudsperson very shortly after all this happened. I just got a response from them saying that…
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Cougar blamed for killing three sheep and an emu on Vancouver Island
Residents of a Vancouver Island community are sounding the alarm after blaming an aggressive cougar for killing three sheep and an emu in the past week. The owners of the Truffle Farm in Parksville, B.C., about 155 kilometres northwest of Victoria, say they found two of their sheep dead from an apparent cougar attack Saturday…
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Groups sue Alaska election officials, allege the sharing of voter data with DOJ was unconstitutional
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Voting and civil rights groups sued Alaska elections officials Wednesday, alleging that their sharing of the state’s full voter registration list with the U.S. Department of Justice violates the state constitution. Alaska is one of at least 12 states that has provided or said it would provide detailed information about its…
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Yelp introduces an AI chatbot to help users sift local recommendations
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Online review aggregator Yelp wants to harness artificial intelligence to make it easier for users to find information curated by other people. Although Yelp’s users have always been able to dive into its reservoir of 330 million local business reviews, they sometimes find themselves drowning in a sea of commentary from…
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Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation violates EU law, court finds
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian legislation banning the availability of LGBTQ+ content to minors violates European Union law and breaches a foundational treaty guaranteeing respect for human rights and equality, the bloc’s court ruled Tuesday. The European Court of Justice said that Hungary’s legislation, adopted in 2021 by the nationalist-populist government of outgoing Prime Minister…
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Some people with medical needs are being taken out of Peguis First Nation
Some residents with medical needs are being taken out of Peguis First Nation in advance of anticipated flooding. Lisa Naylor, Manitoba’s infrastructure minister, says people with certain medical conditions or who need ongoing medical treatment are being moved out in case water makes roads impassable. Chief Stan Bird says the Fisher River has come up…
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City of Montreal in court trying to overturn landmark police racial profiling ruling
Lawyers for the City of Montreal asked the Court of Appeal on Tuesday to overturn a landmark class-action ruling on racial profiling by police, saying it’s too complicated to determine how much each member is eligible to receive. The city is appealing a 2024 Superior Court ruling that determined Montreal police had a systemic racial…
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Six mistakenly released inmates still at large, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says
Premier Doug Ford says six inmates mistakenly released from Ontario’s jails remain at large. More than 150 inmates have been improperly released from the provincial jail system since 2021. Ford says the criminals will be captured, but he says the situation is unacceptable. Ontario’s solicitor general and his No. 2 have apologized for “inadvertently” saying…