Access and Privacy Online

Access and Privacy Online


Burlington man arrested on child luring, pornography charges

Burlington resident Eric Straughan-Ostrosky, 28, has been arrested and charged with multiple child exploitation offences. A joint online investigation was launched in July 2024 by the Halton police and the Ontario provincial police.   Straughan-Ostrosky faces three counts of luring a child and making child pornography following the investigation, which utilized several social media platforms. He […]

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Hungarians protest state media ‘propaganda factory’ and demand unbiased press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered outside the headquarters of Hungary’s public media corporation on Saturday to demonstrate against what they say is an entrenched propaganda network operated by the nationalist government at taxpayer expense. The protest was organized by Hungary’s most prominent opposition figure, Péter Magyar, and his upstart TISZA party, which […]

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20241005 Access and Privacy Online

Show Notes for Saturday October 5th. Also available through: PodBean, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Full Show Notes: 23 bilingual municipalities ask judge to suspend portions of Quebec language law  https://fipa.bc.ca/23-bilingual-municipalities-ask-judge-to-suspend-portions-of-quebec-language-law/   Ontario teacher shortage to worsen in 2027, ministry document […]

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Colorado judge who sentenced election denier Tina Peters to prison receives threats

A rural Colorado county courthouse beefed up security Friday after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years behind bars and admonished her for her role in a data breach scheme catalyzed by the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President […]

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EU is taking Hungary to court. It says a law targeting foreign influence really targets basic rights

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union announced on Thursday that it is taking Hungary’s right-wing government to court over laws that could allow the authorities to investigate and prosecute people accused of undermining the country’s sovereignty. The “ sovereignty protection act ″ took effect in December. It created a government authority with the power to […]

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More Ontario school boards in deficit, using reserves: ministry documents

An increasing number of Ontario school boards are reporting deficits and are using or even depleting their reserves, according to internal Ministry of Education briefing documents. The association representing school boards in the province says while the Progressive Conservative government has boosted the education budget, increases have not kept pace with inflation, forcing boards to […]

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Taxpayers in 24 states will be able to file their returns directly with the IRS in 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is expanding its program that allows people to file their taxes directly with the agency for free. The federal tax collector’s Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to calculate and submit their returns to the government directly without using commercial tax preparation software, will be open to more than 30 […]

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Ontario teacher shortage to worsen in 2027, ministry document warns

Ontario is staring down a teacher shortage as retirements and student enrolment are both on the rise, and the Ministry of Education expects the situation will start to get even worse in 2027. The warning is contained in a series of briefing documents for the new minister of education, obtained by The Canadian Press through […]

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No one expects a judge’s rollback of Georgia’s abortion ban to be the last word

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — When a Georgia judge overturned the state’s abortion ban this week, abortion rights advocates praised the ruling and opponents denounced it — all knowing the state’s top court could put it on hold in coming days or weeks. Any changes to abortion policy in Southern states could have an impact that […]

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Appeals court reinstates Indiana lawsuit against TikTok alleging child safety, privacy concerns

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit filed by the state accusing TikTok of deceiving its users about the video-sharing platform’s level of inappropriate content for children and the security of its consumers’ personal information. In a 3-0 ruling issued Monday, a three-judge panel of the state appeals court reversed […]

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Judge strikes down Georgia ban on abortions, allowing them to resume beyond 6 weeks into pregnancy

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia judge on Monday struck down the state’s abortion law, which took effect in 2022 and effectively prohibited abortions beyond about six weeks of pregnancy. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his order that the law violates Georgia’s Constitution, finding that “liberty in Georgia includes in its meaning, […]

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Epic Games sues Google and Samsung over phone settings, accusing them of violating antitrust laws

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Video game maker Epic Games sued Google and Samsung on Monday, accusing the tech companies of coordinating to block third-party competition in application distribution on Samsung devices. At issue is Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” feature, which only allows for apps from authorized sources, such as the Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play […]

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