Neil Johnson came home from a conference on artificial intelligence with dollar signs in his eyes. At a council meeting in his home of Newell County a few weeks later, Johnson set about convincing everyone else of the riches he’d caught a glimpse of. “We’ve got an opportunity here that, when you start adding up […]

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Thousands rallied across Slovakia on Tuesday to protest the latest moves by the government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico to dismantle an independent office that protects those who report corruption and other criminal activities and amend the penal code. Rallies took place in 10 communities, including the capital, Bratislava, where […]

If all goes as planned for one corporate tech collaborative, Île-des-Chênes (IDC) will soon be home to Manitoba’s first major AI data centre. Jet.AI, a Nevada-based provider of GPU (graphics processing unit) infrastructure and AI cloud services, made their formal public announcement on December 4. Jet.AI has joined with Consensus Core Technologies Inc., a company […]

Canada is injecting tens of billions of dollars into defence as it looks to ramp up spending to levels not seen since the Cold War — both to meet its NATO commitments and to juice the domestic economy. But it remains to be seen whether National Defence — a department which the opposition Conservatives point […]

Canada’s food safety agency doubts it could adequately protect the food supply in the next two years if the country is hit with several concurrent emergencies, such as animal disease outbreaks or food safety recalls. The problem is exacerbated by climate change, with the agency warning the crisis could impact its infrastructure while boosting the […]

The World Anti-Doping Agency is challenging the legal basis of the federal privacy watchdog’s investigation into the agency’s handling of biological samples collected from athletes. The office of privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne announced in November last year the investigation would examine whether the agency’s collection, use and disclosure practices respect Canada’s personal information law for […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed a polemic bill on Sunday that critics say is a blow to democracy and will make it more difficult to access public information in a U.S. territory long known for its lack of government transparency. González said the bill amends an existing law […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump’s top law enforcement officials were firing and forcing out waves of Justice Department veterans, Sen. Chuck Grassley denounced a “political infection” that had poisoned FBI leadership. The Iowa Republican was not criticizing FBI Director Kash Patel or Attorney General Pam Bondi. In a July statement, he directed his […]

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, December 13th.   As we head into the holiday season, it’s another big week for access and privacy. Local Journalism Initiative reporting uncovers serious questions about water safety, council transparency, and digital surveillance at home. Nationally, we’re seeing renewed pressure around the Ring of Fire, critical minerals, and Indigenous consent. Around the world, governments are […]

In this Commentary, BC Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey returns to Access and Privacy Online to speak with FIPA President Mike Larsen, Executive Director Jason Woywada, and producer Patrick Farnsworth.   Commissioner Harvey addresses several key subjects, including the BC government’s latest report on the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act and concerns that people are losing faith in the […]

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) — Retired Chinese official Li Chuanliang was recuperating from cancer on a Korean resort island when he got an urgent call: Don’t return to China, a friend warned. You’re now a fugitive. Days later, a stranger snapped a photo of Li in a cafe. Terrified South Korea would send him back, Li […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department asked an appeals court Friday to block a contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to turn around planes carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in March. The department also is seeking Chief Judge James Boasberg’s removal from the case, accusing him of a “radical, retaliatory, unconstitutional campaign” […]