Successive Home Secretaries of different political parties have taken strong anti-encryption stances, claiming encryption — which is essential for online privacy and security — will diminish the effectiveness of UK bulk surveillance capabilities, make fighting organized crime more difficult, and hamper efforts to stop terror attacks. The latest tactic — a carefully crafted PR … [Read more...] about Government Plans Publicity Blitz to Undermine Privacy of Your Chats
Democracy
Special Report: OIPC BC
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia has released a special report on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Access to Information” to give the public a sense of how the access system generally performed under the pressures of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report focuses on public bodies whose operations were uniquely impacted by COVID-19. Read the … [Read more...] about Special Report: OIPC BC
How ‘online harms’ legislation undermines privacy
Consistent with legislative initiatives in Australia, the UK, Netherlands, and other countries, the Government of Canada has been working mightily to enact privacy-invasive encryption-busting legislation it says is necessary to protect against legal but "hurtful" online content. Despite sweeping criticism of Bill C-10 and its companion bill to address harmful content online, … [Read more...] about How ‘online harms’ legislation undermines privacy
Proposed or predetermined approach to address harmful content online
Within hours of Elections Canada confirming the results of the 44th general federal election, the Government of Canada revealed that, of more than 100 platform promises, ten will receive special attention. Among them are three new laws that would require "web giants" to examine and analyze all web content and ensure Canadians cannot see hurtful online content deemed to … [Read more...] about Proposed or predetermined approach to address harmful content online
Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate
The Australian government has new laws on the books to hack your computer, your online accounts, and just about any piece of technology and networks you come into contact with. It can happen without a warrant and without you ever knowing. It permits network activity warrants for other jurisdictions as well. And that’s just the start of it. Outraged? Good. Read More … [Read more...] about Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate
RCMP’s use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition tech was a massive privacy violation
In his Special Report to Parliament regarding the RCMP’s use of Clearview AI's facial recognition technology, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has made it clear that, “the use of FRT by the RCMP to search through massive repositories of Canadians who are innocent of any suspicion of crime presents a serious violation of privacy.” Moreover, the Commissioner reiterated the … [Read more...] about RCMP’s use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition tech was a massive privacy violation
