This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, December 6th.   This week, police-worn body cameras are expanding across the country — and in some places, they’re being paired with new AI tools that raise serious questions about oversight and public transparency. We’re also watching a surge of major developments out of Alberta, from an influential access-to-information ruling to new concerns […]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Social media platforms must report monthly how many children’s accounts they close once Australia begins enforcing its 16-year age limit next week, a minister said Wednesday. Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube would face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) from Dec. 10 […]

Canadians affected by a 23andMe data security breach two years ago have reached a proposed class-action settlement with the genetic testing company for approximately $4.49 million. Canada’s privacy watchdog said in June the personal data of almost seven million people, including nearly 320,000 in Canada, was compromised by hackers over a five-month period beginning in […]

The premier of Nova Scotia is calling for an investigation into how a major power utility has handled a cyberattack, saying residents should not be responsible for paying for Nova Scotia Power’s failures. Tim Houston wrote to the chair of the Nova Scotia Energy Board, saying he wants the regulator to look into the way […]

The Oakland Police Department has declined to provide the public with access to police body camera videos that would show what happened on Oct. 18, the morning former Oakland Raiders running back Doug Martin died while in the custody of several OPD officers. In response to a public records request by The Oaklandside, the department […]

Police in two B.C. cities are warning area residents after a number of cases where fraudsters are texting potential victims telling them they need to pay their fines for speeding tickets. RCMP say a number of people in Kelowna have reported receiving the texts, where they are asked to provide personal information such as date […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration warned on Tuesday that it will withhold money for administering SNAP food aid in most Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless those states provide information about people receiving the assistance. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is looming because those states […]

Gaps in federal funding and authority expose many First Nations and Inuit Elders in Canada to inadequate long-term care, forcing them to leave their home communities, language and culture, documents show.  The document obtained by Canada’s National Observer through an Access to Information and Privacy request shows that limited funding, unclear responsibilities and gaps between […]

Alberta’s privacy watchdog is raising concerns about the government’s plan to add health-care numbers to driver’s licences and other forms of identification. Information and privacy commissioner Diane McLeod said it would increase the risk of fraud as the numbers could be obtained outside of health-care settings. “Personal health numbers of Canadians are a sought-after commodity […]

Gift-giving season is upon us and the internet is ablaze with unique gift ideas to entice every shopper. Add to that the ease and convenience of online shopping and it becomes a preferred option for many. With that in mind, the Manitoba RCMP want to remind everyone to demonstrate an increased level of vigilance at […]

A former Liberal cabinet minister says the government was close to introducing legislation around the internal use of artificial intelligence (AI) but ran out of time before governments changed after the Progressive Conservatives won the fall general election. “ I’m very sad that my efforts towards legislation did not get fulfilled before the government changed, but […]

(ANNews) – Hans McCarthy, grandson of the late Frog Lake Chief Lawrence Francis Quinney, has achieved a landmark court victory in a forensic audit, establishing a new standard for financial transparency and accountability for First Nations across Canada. McCarthy, who currently lives in Pigeon Lake, Alberta says, “I grew up in Frog Lake First Nation. […]