Access and Privacy Online

Access and Privacy Online


Government plans to bring forward online harms bill, AI minister says

The federal government is working on online harms legislation, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said Friday. Solomon told reporters Culture Minister Marc Miller will bring the bill forward. The bill would be separate from privacy legislation Solomon is expected to introduce, and from a justice bill the government tabled last year that includes elements criminalizing […]

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Network shutdown leaves Wisconsin lawmakers meeting outside of public view

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The shutdown of Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN amid a fundraising shortfall has led to state lawmakers meeting outside of public view, fueling complaints from open government advocates and putting pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal to revive the network. WisconsinEye had broadcast every floor session of the state Senate and […]

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Brampton residents in the dark about taxpayer-funded trip to Taiwan: airfare for one councillor cost $5,600

In a city strapped for cash, where vital infrastructure projects have been cancelled or stalled for years under Mayor Patrick Brown, whose own spending has skyrocketed despite claims of fiscal belt tightening, the globetrotting by council members and staff continues to frustrate Brampton taxpayers forced to pay for these lavish trips. There is little public […]

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PCs invite public input ahead of Budget 2026

The Tony Wakeham government is welcoming input from residents, businesses, unions and others and ahead of the 2026 provincial budget,  the Progressive Conservative Party’s first in 11 years. On Tuesday the PCs announced a 28-day window for residents and  business owners to fill out an online questionnaire on the government’s EngageNL website.  Thy also said […]

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TikTok finalizes a deal to form a new American entity

TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years on the platform now used by more than 200 million Americans. The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and […]

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Google offers users option to plug AI mode into their photos, email for more personalized answers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is leveraging its artificial intelligence technology to open a new peephole for its dominant search engine to tailor answers that draw upon people’s interests, habits, travel itineraries and photo libraries. The new option rolling out Thursday will give millions of people the option of turning on a recently introduced tool […]

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Under Armour looking into data breach affecting customers’ email addresses

BALTIMORE (AP) — Clothing retailer Under Armour is investigating a recent data breach that purloined customers’ email addresses and other personal information, but so far there are no signs the hackers stole any passwords or financial information. The breach is believed to have happened late last year, and affected 72 million email addresses, according to […]

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Tens of thousands of Canadian marine animals killed or maimed by ‘ghost gear’

A “shocking” amount of marine life is being ensnared in abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear adrift in Canada’s oceans, internal federal data reveals. Nearly 86,000 marine animals were caught up in “ghost gear” between 2020 and 2023, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) data obtained by Canada’s National Observer through an access to […]

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Chaos erupts as Springwater councillors disagree on legal invoices

If you missed Springwater Township’s first council meeting of the new year on Wednesday night, you missed a beauty. The season debut of what some locals have dubbed the ‘The Jerry Springwater Show’ had everything a premiere needs to draw a huge audience — drama, conflict, intrigue, suspense and some good old-fashioned name-calling. For good […]

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Watchdog says funding needed to avoid the ‘collapse’ of whistle-blowing

Canada’s integrity watchdog has issued an urgent funding request to the federal government warning the “whistle-blowing regime” is at risk. Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada Harriet Solloway sent a letter to Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali last week asking for a one-time injection of $6.7 million and around $14.3 million in additional funding per […]

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Fire Board update on privacy breach

Fire Board Trustees of the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District (GFPID) say they are doing their best with the ongoing investigation into a privacy breach of personnel data. The breach was discussed at a December 3, 2025 meeting of the board and reported on in the Dec. 10 Sounder. Chair Erik Johnson says a computer […]

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Cyberspy agency breached law by directing actions at Canadian: watchdog report

The national intelligence watchdog says Canada’s cyberspy agency violated a law that forbids it from focusing on Canadians when it analyzed information from an electronic device. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency details the lapse in a newly released report that looked at how the Communications Security Establishment and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service […]

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