Facebook is under investigation by Canada’s privacy watchdog following allegations that user data was obtained and manipulated by a company working on U.S. President Donald Trump’s election campaign. Daniel Therrien says his office has opened a formal investigation of Cambridge Analytica and whether the personal information of Facebook users in Canada was affected. The investigation will also look at whether Facebook is complying with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
CBC Ombudsman Esther Enkin has addressed the right to be forgotten in the digital age after a request from a Calgary man to have a 2015 feature story on him removed. Enkin says CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices only allow for removal of a story under exceptional circumstances: “Our published content is a matter of public record. To change the content of previously published material alters that record. Altering the record could undermine our credibility and the public’s trust in our journalism.” Enkin says there can be exceptions where there are legal or personal safety considerations to the person named.
CBC News has launched Beyond 94, an immersive and interactive project on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. The website measures progress of the TRC’s 94 calls, highlighting residential school survivor stories, resources and examples of how Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians can work together towards the path of reconciliation. CBC is also hosting a series of public forums over the next week in Regina, Winnipeg and Yellowknife.
