Defence

Defence


Ahead of U.S. TikTok ban, Canadians flock to Chinese ‘RedNote’ app

With TikTok facing an imminent ban in the United States, many Canadian users are moving to rival Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu — also known as RedNote — pushing it to the top of download charts in Canada. The ban is being driven by security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. Chinese national […]

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RCMP informant’s decades of spying on social reformers are chronicled in new book

As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books. But he also had tasks his party comrades could know nothing about: snooping on mail, copying phone numbers from scratch pads and rummaging through waste baskets. Hadesbeck, known to his […]

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Elections boss says parties should run nominations, but possibly with tighter rules

Canada’s chief electoral officer is playing down any suggestion that Elections Canada should directly administer political nomination or leadership contests. During an appearance at a federal inquiry into foreign interference, Stéphane Perrault pointed to the importance of parties controlling their own processes and indicated his agency lacks the resources to administer such contests in any […]

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Canada consulting with allies on possible involvement in AUKUS security pact

Canada is in consultations with the U.K., the U.S. and Australia about possible collaboration in the security pact known as AUKUS. The trilateral deal was struck three years ago in an effort to boost security in the Indo-Pacific region by building a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.  Some Canadian military leaders have expressed dismay […]

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Dutch watchdog fines Uber $324 million for alleged inadequate protection of drivers’ data

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch data protection watchdog slapped a 290 million euro ($324 million) fine Monday on ride-hailing service Uber for allegedly transferring personal details of European drivers to the United States without adequate protection. Uber called the decision flawed and unjustified and said it would appeal. The Dutch Data Protection Authority […]

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National security agencies should detail how they’re using AI: federal advisory body

A federal advisory body is calling on Canada’s security agencies to publish detailed descriptions of their current and intended uses of artificial intelligence systems and software applications. In a new report, the National Security Transparency Advisory Group also urges the government to look at amending legislation being considered by Parliament to ensure oversight of how […]

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Elections Canada floats suggestions to shield nomination contests from meddling

Elections Canada is suggesting possible changes to protect the political nomination process from foreign meddling, including barring non-citizens from helping choose candidates, requiring parties to publish contest rules and explicitly outlawing practices such as voting more than once. The federal elections agency outlines the proposed moves in a discussion guide intended to help chief electoral […]

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National security adviser defends cabinet confidence in foreign meddling probe

No amount of cajoling, wild hand gestures or outright hostility from opposition MPs could make Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc budge from his insistence Thursday that the government is not hiding any relevant documents or information from the foreign interference inquiry.And National Security Adviser Nathalie Drouin said to break the long-standing convention of cabinet confidence […]

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Vets Affairs ‘March holidays’ post: ‘In trying to be apolitical we became political’

After a flood of angry comments, Veterans Affairs Canada staff found themselves working over the Easter weekend this year, scrambling to explain why one of the department’s social media posts didn’t actually mention the holiday. The post on March 29 — Good Friday — wished people a “happy March holiday season,” prompting hundreds of questions […]

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Halt defence counter-intelligence searches of workplace computers, spy watchdog urges

The national spy watchdog is calling on the military’s counter-intelligence unit to suspend investigative searches of a workplace computer system over concerns about employee privacy. A National Security and Intelligence Review Agency report released Thursday says Defence employees and Armed Forces members have a reasonable expectation of privacy when making personal use of work computers. […]

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Climate change could be avenue for adversaries to harm Canada, spy service warns

OTTAWA — Canada’s spy service warns that dramatic shifts caused by climate change and the ensuing fractious upheaval around the world could leave Canada vulnerable, imperilling its food and water supplies, energy security and Arctic sovereignty. Global warming will threaten security as countries and other actors seek to either bolster their economic positions or exploit […]

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Feds aimed secret cybersecurity briefing at energy sector executives: memo

OTTAWA — Federal security officials have been briefing leaders of major energy and utility firms on cyberthreats, one element of a concerted government effort to underscore the serious risks to the sector. A newly disclosed Public Safety Canada memo reveals a secret-level June meeting was part of a strategy to raise awareness among company executives […]

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