Science

Science


Alberta’s privacy commissioner raises concerns over two government bills

Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner says she has big concerns – including fuzzy definitions and insufficient guardrails – in two bills now being debated in the house. The bills aim to amend existing access to information and privacy rules and are touted by Premier Danielle Smith’s government as being the strictest privacy regulations in Canada. […]

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Investigation underway after Alberta Crown corporation hit by cyberattack

An Alberta Crown corporation says it recently experienced “network issues” after it was the target of a cyberattack.  Dwayne Brunner, a spokesman for Alberta Innovates, wouldn’t confirm when the issues began, but said an investigation is underway and all network problems have been resolved. “Alberta Innovates recently experienced network issues, which we quickly resolved and […]

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Calgary libraries to reopen Wednesday following cybersecurity breach

The Calgary Public Library says its branches will reopen later this week with limited services after revealing it suffered a cybersecurity breach. The library says in an update posted on its website that patrons will have access to spaces in its branches that “do not require technology” when they reopen Wednesday, and that people will […]

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Calgary’s public libraries closed due to cybersecurity breach

All Calgary Public Library locations have been closed due to a cybersecurity breach. The library posted the news on its website, stating the closures took effect as of 5 p.m. Friday. The post says that in addition to the closures, all servers and library computer access are being turned off.  No further details on the […]

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Drones helped in big Vancouver arrest. It’s time for policy scrutiny, researchers say

Canadian police forces have been using drones for many years, but scrutiny of their use is lacking, especially as the technology has evolved, privacy and surveillance researchers say.  Their concerns come after Vancouver’s Chief Const. Adam Palmer revealed that investigators deployed drones to locate a suspect in a pair of gruesome stranger attacks in the […]

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‘A great teaching opportunity’: How one school board plans to use AI in the classroom

When students return to Catholic schools in Ottawa this week, they will be able to use artificial intelligence to help solve math problems and create essay outlines. Their teachers, too, can turn to AI to generate lesson plans, adjust content to a student’s specific needs, and give feedback on assignments. The Ottawa Catholic School Board […]

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Sensors can read your sweat and predict overheating. Here’s why privacy advocates care

On a hot summer day in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, dozens of men removed pipes, asbestos and hazardous waste while working to decontaminate a nuclear facility and prepare it for demolition. Dressed in head-to-toe coveralls and fitted with respirators, the crew members toiling in a building without power had no obvious respite from the heat. Instead, […]

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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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CBSA to use facial recognition app for people facing deportation: documents

The Canada Border Services Agency plans to implement an app that uses facial recognition technology to keep track of people who have been ordered to be deported from the country. The mobile reporting app would use biometrics to confirm a person’s identity and record their location data when they use the app to check in. […]

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Ottawa latest city to turn to AI to predict chronic homelessness

How old are you? What is your gender? Are you Indigenous? Are you a Canadian citizen? Do you have a family?  Those are just a few of the data points that a new artificial intelligence system will use to determine if somebody might be at risk of chronic homelessness in Ottawa, thanks to a team-up […]

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Government chatbots? It’s one possibility under Ottawa’s new AI strategy

Delayed air passengers, disgruntled phone customers and even hungry people craving a slice of pizza increasingly find their pleas to private companies being answered by artificial intelligence. Soon Canadians who need to reach out to the federal government could also find themselves talking to an employee who’s been helped by non-human assistants.  Ottawa is working […]

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FTC orders 8 companies to provide information on ‘surveillance pricing’ practices

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission has ordered information from eight companies that the agency says offer products and services that use personal data to set prices based on a shopper’s individual characteristics. In a Tuesday announcement, the FTC said it was seeking to better understand the “opaque market” of “surveillance pricing” practices […]

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