June 2018 – Follow To Know

Study Calls Out ‘Dark Patterns’ In Facebook And Google That Push Users Toward Less Privacy | TechCrunch

June 28, 2018 mdbincbi

More scrutiny than ever is in place on the tech industry, and while high-profile cases like Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance in front of lawmakers garner headlines, there are subtler forces at work. This study from a Norway watchdog group eloquently and painstakingly describes the ways that companies like Facebook and Google push their users towards making choices that negatively affect their own privacy. It was spurred, like many other new inquiries, by Europe’s GDPR, which has caused no small amount of consternation among companies for whom collecting and leveraging user data…

Revenue Agency Falling Behind As Uncollected Taxes Owed Rise To $44 Billion | CBC News

June 25, 2018 mdbincbi

The amount of tax that Canadians admit to owing Ottawa but haven’t paid rose to a record $43.8 billion this year, despite a Liberal government promise to “stabilize” that sum. And an internal Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) projection obtained by CBC News says the amount of unpaid tax owed is set to hit more than $47 billion by 2020. The steady increase in the tax debt — up by about $2 billion annually since the Liberals came to power — comes despite a major investment in the 2016 federal budget…

With Trump As Commander-in-Chief, Canada’s Dithering On Procurement Becomes Intolerable | CBC News

June 25, 2018 mdbincbi

Defence procurement is the government promise that keeps on rebooting. At the moment, Canada is preparing to purchase 25 second-hand F-18 fighter jets from Australia — pending U.S. approval —as a stop-gap measure until it can replace its fleet with new jets. The earlier plan was to buy 18 used jets, making this the roughly zillionth update to Canada’s defence procurement plan. This de facto refusal to truly modernize our fighter jet fleet will make Canada look like the runt compared to our allies. And by “allies,” I am referring mainly to…

Jaguar I-Pace Review: A Luxury EV That Can Tackle Anything | Engadget

June 22, 2018 mdbincbi

The I-Pace is an exceptional pure electric luxury SUV from Jaguar that can handle real offroading and a day at the track just as well as a night out on the town. It’s chock full of tech that for the most part delivers. We just wish the infotainment system suffered from less latency. The Jaguar I-Pace is an electric vehicle four years in the making. The vehicle is the result of CEO Dr. Ralf Speth’s unilateral decision that the company build a pure electric luxury SUV. Ever since its conception,…

Legal Recreational Marijuana: What You Need To Know | CBC News

June 22, 2018 mdbincbi

The legislative battle over marijuana may be over, but as Canadians look ahead to Oct. 17 — the date legalization takes effect — there are some practical considerations that should be top of mind for those keen to light up legally. First of all — and this is typical of Canada’s federal system — not all provinces and territories are following the same path to legalization. Some are imposing different regulations on the drug within their jurisdictions. Two provinces, Quebec and Manitoba, are banning home cultivation altogether. Canadians who cross the border…

Canadians At Risk Of Being ‘Data Cows’ Absent Big Data Strategy, Documents Show | CBC News

June 20, 2018 mdbincbi

Artificial intelligence could give internet giants like Facebook and Amazon even more power to reshape the Canadian economy, threatening the viability of domestic businesses, researchers warn. A December presentation to senior civil servants said that Canadian companies were losing ownership of — and access to — data to the likes of Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google, requiring a federal policy response. Artificial intelligence “will reinforce this trend,” presenters from the National Research Council warned top officials, adding that a national data strategy would be necessary to prevent Canada from becoming…

Ottawa Orders CRTC To Investigate Reports Of ‘Aggressive’ Telecom Sales Practices | CBC News

June 16, 2018 mdbincbi

The federal government is ordering an investigation following allegations that Canada’s largest telecommunications companies are using “misleading” and “aggressive” tactics to sell products and services. Innovation, Science and Economic Minister Navdeep Bains has ordered the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to investigate and report on the sales practices used by Canada’s largest telecommunication companies. The minister also called for a public inquiry to allow Canadians to voice their concerns and said the resulting inquiry report will have to propose potential solutions. The call for inquiry follows months of CBC stories on the issue. Read full story here: Ottawa Orders CRTC To Investigate Reports…

Is The Loonie The ‘Most Hated Currency’ In Markets Right Now? | CBC News

June 14, 2018 mdbincbi

The Canadian dollar has seen its share of volatility this year as trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada reached a fever pitch over the weekend. The currency is down more than five per cent against the U.S. dollar since hitting its highest point this year at the end of January. Even as it moved higher on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates, Mark McCormick, head of North American foreign exchange strategy at TD Securities, said the loonie “is probably the market’s most hated currency now,” based on his discussions with investors.…

Mounties, CSIS Still Haven’t Publicly ID’d People Behind Electronic Cell Surveillance In Ottawa | CBC News

June 12, 2018 mdbincbi

After investigating for over a year, the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are still unable to publicly identify those who have deployed electronic espionage devices in the national capital. In April 2017, a CBC/Radio-Canada report revealed that IMSI catchers were being used in Ottawa and Montreal. These devices can capture cellphone data and listen to telephone conversations. News that sophisticated spying tools had been deployed within range of Parliament Hill caused some tumult within the government. Following the CBC/Radio-Canada report, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced the launch…