Ottawa

Ottawa


‘Greenwashing by governments more harmful’: Who is holding Ottawa and Queen’s Park accountable?

When the federal and provincial governments promote themselves as friends of the environment, while pushing legislation and projects that will devastate landscapes and impact our well being, who holds them accountable for the blatant greenwashing? Perhaps no one. “There’s little greenwashing specific laws in Canada overall, and there are no laws that prohibit the government […]

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Ottawa wants to block kids from social media. How would age verification work?

In June, the federal government introduced Bill C-34, which would force social media platforms to block access for kids under 16. The exact ways in which social media platforms would verify age haven’t yet been worked out. Culture Minister Marc Miller said there will be “a back and forth with platforms as to what protects […]

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Ottawa commissions project to track ‘news deserts’ in Canada

The federal government is working on a project that would map out areas of Canada that lack local news coverage. “Canadian Heritage has recently engaged a team of independent industry experts to develop a local news directory — a multi-phase, multi-year project that will ultimately measure the extent and spread of news deserts and areas […]

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Ottawa awards Telesat $2.3B Arctic military satellite contract

A Canadian telecommunications firm has signed a deal with the federal government worth $2.3 billion to provide high-speed satellite communications to the Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic. The federal Defence Investment Agency and Telesat LEO announced the deal on Monday. The contract is meant to secure broadband coverage in remote northern locations for a […]

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Human or AI bot? Ottawa consulting on transparency of AI systems

The federal government is asking for input from Canadians about the transparency of artificial intelligence systems. In an online post featuring an AI-generated video of the CN Tower launching into the air like a rocket, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the government wants to hear from Canadians what meaningful and practical AI transparency might […]

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Here’s what you need to know about Ottawa’s new policies on social media and AI

Over the last two weeks of the parliamentary sitting, the Liberal government made a series of moves related to AI and digital regulation. It introduced a new AI strategy, a bill requiring social media platforms to ban kids under 16 and a long-awaited privacy bill. It also moved to block new rules requiring streamers to […]

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Ottawa’s new surveillance pricing rules not likely to take effect before 2028

The federal government wants to be “super careful” as it tackles surveillance pricing, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said after tabling the government’s new privacy bill. Under the plan outlined by Solomon, those rules on surveillance pricing are unlikely to be in place before 2028. “It’s very easy to say just ban using personal information […]

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Ottawa introduces privacy bill covering children’s data, right to request deletion

Proposed federal legislation would recognize privacy as a fundamental right of all Canadians and set higher standards for organizations when they manage children’s data. The Liberal government introduced a long-awaited bill Monday to update decades-old privacy laws covering the private sector. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon told reporters the bill would also give Canadians the […]

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Ottawa directs some with ‘Lost Canadian’ citizenship to surrender documents

Some people who received proof of Canadian citizenship under the “Lost Canadians” legislation that passed last year are now being told to surrender their certificates of citizenship. Immigration lawyer Amandeep Hayer said one of his clients received a message from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Saturday saying they need to turn over their citizenship […]

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Ottawa endorses plan to move Marineland’s whales to U.S. and Spain

Ottawa has endorsed a plan to move Canada’s last remaining captive whales to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain. There are 30 belugas and four dolphins at Marineland, the shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls, Ont., that still face mass euthanasia should the deal fall through. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has issued the […]

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Ottawa to amend encryption, metadata elements of contentious lawful access bill

The federal government will amend its controversial lawful access bill to address concerns about encryption and metadata, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Wednesday. “The encryption issue is one we will clarify because this bill was never meant to breach encryption,” Anandasangaree said. He said the government’s understanding of the language in the bill on systemic vulnerabilities […]

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Feds working with City of Ottawa to ease public service transit woes: memo

Officials managing the federal government’s return-to-office plans are concerned about the ability of Ottawa’s troubled municipal transit system to actually get public servants to their workplaces, an internal memo shows. Canada’s top public servant, Privy Council Clerk Michael Sabia, and Isabelle Mondou, the deputy clerk, met with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on Feb. 19 to […]

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