OTTAWA – Concern is growing that federal negotiators aren’t doing enough to protect the personal information of Canadians from prying U.S. interests at the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Information technology companies and other digital economy insiders say federal negotiators appeared unprepared during this week’s third round of talks to counter an American proposal that would forbid the storage of sensitive data in computing facilities on Canadian soil. Some warned that Canada appeared soft on the issue and might concede to the American demands in the interest of horse-trading…
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Canada’s Border Agency To Start Tracking The Number Of Cellphone Searches – Technology & Science – CBC News
The Canada Border Services Agency will begin tracking the number of cellphones its officers search at the border, and will provide Canadians their first glimpse into the frequency of those searches after six months. “Right now we’re not tracking separately how many cellphone searches we have done,” said Martin Bolduc, vice-president of the agency’s programs branch, in a meeting before the House of Commons standing committee on access to information, privacy and ethics on Wednesday. But a few weeks ago, he told his team to start. CBSA has long maintained that it…
Read MoreGasoline Analyst Questions N.S.’s Regulated System After Price Swings – Nova Scotia – CBC News
Nova Scotians have had gas prices spike three times in the last two weeks, with the Utility and Review Board invoking the interrupter clause on Sept. 2 to raise the price. (The Associated Press) A petroleum analyst is questioning Nova Scotia’s practice of setting weekly gas prices after large recent swings in the cost of filling up. Dan McTeague with gasbuddy.com said the price of gasoline on global markets has been steadily going down since Hurricane Harvey caused it to spike, and dropped “dramatically so as early as late last week.” He’s criticizing the Nova…
Read MoreEquifax Faces Mounting Pressure After Data Breach As CAA Reveals 10,000 Clients Hit – Business – CBC News
Equifax Canada is facing intensifying calls for transparency on its massive cyberhack as the Canadian Automobile Association informs thousands of its members that their data may have been compromised and frustrated consumers ask questions about why they’re being treated worse than their U.S. counterparts. CAA said Thursday it partnered with Equifax on its identity protection program and is notifying the roughly 10,000 members who participated that they may have had sensitive data divulged in the security breach made public last week. The auto organization’s program required members to register their…
Read MoreAs Risky As It Sounds, A Hands-Off Approach To Driverless Vehicle Safety May Save Lives – Business – CBC News
The latest U.S. government guidelines hand a lot of the responsibility for the safety of autonomous vehicles over to the companies that make them, but a Canadian expert says that may be the best option, and ultimately the decision will save thousands of lives. “We’re [in between] a rock and a hard place.” says Paul Godsmark of the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence (CAVCOE), which provides consulting services, analysis and recommendations to government, public sector agencies and private industry on automated vehicle deployment. “It’s really a fascinating problem.” The Trump…
Read More‘U.S. Policy Is Not To Defend Canada’ From ICBMs, NORAD Deputy Commander Says | CTV News
OTTAWA – Current U.S. policy directs the American military not to defend Canada if it is targeted in a ballistic missile attack, says the top Canadian officer at the North American Aerospace Defence Command. “We’re being told in Colorado Springs that the extant U.S. policy is not to defend Canada,” said Lt.-Gen. Pierre St-Amand, deputy commander of Colorado-based Norad. “That is the policy that’s stated to us. So that’s the fact that I can bring to the table.” St-Amand delivered that revelation Thursday during an appearance before the House of…
Read MoreCoffee vs. Climate Change: The News Is Not Good | Ars Technica
This is serious: climate change could put your caffeine supply at risk. Coffee is notorious for being picky about its climate conditions, with the most popular varieties only growing at specific altitudes in the tropics. That alone makes coffee susceptible to climate change, but the plants are also fussy about their pollinators, which will also be affected by the changing climate. A new analysis suggests that climate change on its own could cause coffee producing areas in the Americas to drop production by roughly 80 percent. But the remaining productivity…
Read MoreChina Aims For An Industry-Changing Ban On Fossil Fuel Cars
It’s not just European countries planning long-term bans on fossil fuel cars. China’s vice minister of industry and IT, Xin Guobin, has revealed that the country’s government is developing a timetable for a ban on sales of fossil fuel vehicles. The official hasn’t given a rough estimate for when a ban would kick in, but France and the UK are both aiming for 2040. It won’t be surprising if China aims for a similar time frame, and it’s already introducing a cap-and-trade program that forces companies to buy credits from…
Read MoreMany Canadians With Homes In Florida Likely Excluded From Insurance Requirements, Disaster Relief – National | Globalnews.ca
As Hurricane Irma barrels toward southern Florida, what do Canadians who own property in the state need to know? Florida is the U.S.’s most popular destination for Canadian homebuyers, according to a 2017 report by the National Association of Realtors. More than half a million Canadians own property there, according to a 2013 tally by the Bank of Montreal. Many of those homes might be on Irma’s path, but Canadians who don’t have U.S. citizenship, permanent residence or a U.S. work visa don’t qualify for federally-backed mortgages, which require flood insurance.…
Read MoreBig Banks Hike Prime Rates After Bank Of Canada Tightens Monetary Policy – Business – CBC News
In the wake of the Bank of Canada’s move Wednesday to boost a key interest rate, Canada’s big banks have boosted their prime rates. RBC was first off the mark, followed quickly by the others, raising their prime rates to 3.2 per cent from 2.95 per cent, where they had been since the central bank’s last rate increase in July. Canadian consumers can expect to feel some financial effects following the Bank of Canada’s decision. “It’s going to raise borrowing costs a little bit for everyone,” Eric Lascelles, chief economist at RBC Global Asset Management, told…
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