2024 Season Episode 29

2024 Season Episode 29


20240720 Access and Privacy Online

Show Notes for Saturday July 20th. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Show Notes: One Tech Tip: Protecting yourself against SIM swapping https://fipa.bc.ca/one-tech-tip-protecting-yourself-against-sim-swapping/ What’s worse than thieves hacking into your bank account? When they steal your phone number, too https://fipa.bc.ca/whats-worse-than-thieves-hacking-into-your-bank-account-when-they-steal-your-phone-number-too ‘Data of nearly all AT&T customers downloaded from a […]

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European Commission didn’t provide enough information about COVID-19 vaccine deals, EU court says

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission did not allow the public enough access to information about COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreements it secured with pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic, the EU general court said Wednesday.  The decision came a day ahead of a vote at the European Parliament at which European Commission President Ursula von der […]

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Southern California school district sues Gov. Newsom over new gender-identity law

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California school district involved in an ongoing legal battle with the state over the district’s gender-identity policy sued Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday over a new law banning districts from requiring that parents be notified of their child’s gender identification change. The Chino Valley Unified School District and a […]

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California is 1st state to ban school rules requiring parents get notified of child’s pronoun change

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California became the first U.S. state to bar school districts from requiring staff to notify parents of their child’s gender identification change under a law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law bans school rules requiring teachers and other staff to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to […]

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Data of nearly all AT&T customers downloaded from a third-party platform in security breach

The data of nearly all customers of the telecommunications giant AT&T was downloaded from a third-party platform in a security breach, the company said Friday, as cyberattacks against businesses, schools and health systems continue to spread globally.  The breach, which took place in April of this year but mostly involved data from 2022, hit AT&T’s […]

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What’s worse than thieves hacking into your bank account? When they steal your phone number, too

WASHINGTON (AP) — One Monday morning in May, I woke up and grabbed my cell phone to read the news and scroll through memes. But it was out of cell service. I couldn’t make calls or texts.  That, though, turned out to be the least of my problems.  Using my home Wi-Fi connection, I checked […]

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One Tech Tip: Protecting yourself against SIM swapping

NEW YORK (AP) — SIM-swapping is a growing form of identity theft that goes beyond hacking into an email or social media account. In this case, the thieves take over your phone number. Any calls or texts go to them, not to you.  Any protections consumers enabled to secure access to their financial accounts, such […]

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European Union says X’s blue checks are deceptive ‘dark patterns’ that breach its social media laws

LONDON (AP) — The European Union said Friday that blue checkmarks from Elon Musk’s X are deceptive and that the online platform falls short on transparency and accountability requirements, the first charges against a tech company since the bloc’s new social media regulations took effect.  The European Commission outlined the preliminary findings from its investigation […]

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US senators call out Big Tech’s new approach to poaching talent, products from smaller AI startups

In the race to stay ahead in artificial intelligence, the biggest technology companies are swallowing up the talent and products of innovative AI startups without formally acquiring them. Now three members of the U.S. Senate are calling for an investigation.  San Francisco-based Adept announced a deal late last month that will send its CEO and […]

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Newfoundland and Labrador releases shelter standards, critics question enforcement

Newfoundland and Labrador published a list of standards on Thursday that public and private emergency homeless shelters must follow, after conditions in for-profit shelters became a central issue in the province’s struggles with homelessness. The report on shelter standards was completed by Ontario-based firm, OrgCode Consulting. It covers details ranging from required mattress sizes to […]

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Access to abortion pill expanding beyond Alberta’s major cities, data shows

The abortion pill is slowly changing the reproductive health landscape in Alberta, new data suggests. When Mifegymiso came on the market in Canada in 2017, advocates and medical professionals hoped the medication would expand reproductive health care in rural and remote communities. In the years that followed, however, severe access issues in Alberta persisted and […]

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Amazon Prime Day is a big event for scammers, experts warn

Amazon Prime Day is here, and experts are reminding consumers to be wary of scams. Deceptions such as phony emails from people impersonating online retailers like Amazon are nothing new. But phishing attempts increase amid the heavy spending seen during significant sales events, whether it’s Black Friday or Prime Day, according to the Better Business […]

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