Access and Privacy Online

Access and Privacy Online


Ontario police watchdog announces provincewide police corruption probe

An Ontario police watchdog is launching an inspection of the province’s police services and boards to assess their ability to prevent, detect and respond to corruption, after seven current Toronto officers were among those charged in an organized crime investigation. Inspector general Ryan Teschner, a former executive director of the Toronto Police Services Board, announced […]

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Regulator plans two-part inquiry into last year’s cyberattack at N.S. utility

Nova Scotia’s energy regulator is planning a two-part inquiry into last year’s cyberattack at the province’s private power utility.  One set of hearings will examine the technical aspects of the March 2025 cyberattack at Nova Scotia Power where the personal information of 280,000 customers was accessed. Company officials have said the attack was likely by […]

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Prime Minister’s Office should be covered by access law, info commissioner tells MPs

Information commissioner Caroline Maynard says Canadians should be able to use the Access to Information Act to request documents from the offices of the prime minister and other cabinet members.  Maynard renewed her call to expand the scope of the access law to cover these offices during an appearance before a House of Commons committee […]

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Does the N.W.T. need a child and youth advocate?

An MLA is calling for the creation of a child and youth advocate in the Northwest Territories to hear the concerns of those involved in the child welfare system. “In the Northwest Territories, the child and family services system holds extraordinary power over children in care with no real independent oversight,” said Range Lake MLA […]

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Three Peel police officers suspended amid corruption, organized crime probe

Three Peel Regional Police officers have been suspended in connection to a corruption and organized crime investigation that led to criminal charges against 27 suspects, including seven Toronto police officers and one retired officer. Const. Tyler Bell-Morena says the force west of Toronto has administratively suspended three officers, pending further investigation by York Regional Police. […]

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Justice Department will allow lawmakers to see unredacted versions of released Epstein files

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice will allow members of Congress to review unredacted files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein starting on Monday, according to a letter that was sent to lawmakers. The letter obtained by The Associated Press says that lawmakers will be able to review unredacted versions of the more […]

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Toronto corruption case may be high-profile test of Ontario’s new police oversight

A police oversight body in Ontario could be soon faced with the most high-profile test of its newly vested powers as it considers launching an investigation into alleged Toronto police corruption.  The inspector general, a relatively new arm’s-length position tasked by the province with overseeing policing, was asked to investigate Thursday after eight current and […]

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Supreme Court ruling sets out exception to confidentiality between lawyer and client

The Supreme Court of Canada says there can be an exception to a lawyer’s duty to keep conversations with a client confidential when the lawyer needs the information to defend themselves against a criminal charge. In a 7-2 ruling Friday, the top court said a lawyer can invoke an “innocence at stake” exception when they […]

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What we know about the Toronto police officers charged in a corruption investigation

Eight current and retired Toronto police officers have been charged in an organized crime and corruption investigation.  The sprawling investigation led by York Regional Police, whose initial results were announced Thursday, alleges Toronto officers provided personal information used to carry out crimes including shootings, robberies and a murder plot. Investigators allege some officers also trafficked […]

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Ex- Regina police officer sentenced for using database to find, date, deceive women

A former police sergeant was sentenced for his crimes Friday while the force’s chief promised better oversight on a database he used to find, date and deceive vulnerable women in Regina.  Robert Semenchuk was handed a conditional sentence of two years less a day, to be served in the community, followed by three years’ probation. […]

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N.S. utility says billing issues will be fixed in March — one year after cyberattack

Nova Scotia’s private power utility says its automatic billing system that was disrupted by a cyberattack almost a year ago should be back to normal next month. Since the attack on Nova Scotia Power in March 2025, some customers have reportedly received bills up to three times higher than the same period the year before. […]

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20260207 Access and Privacy Online

Your Access and Privacy Online News Summary for Saturday, February 7th. Late breaking this week: Bill C-4, Part 4, is heading toward a unique Senate committee. It is not too late to contact Senators or your MP. You’ll find links in the show notes. We’ll be following developments closely.  This week, access-to-information requests continue to expose deep accountability gaps. From millions in […]

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