I'm going to go on a rant because I keep seeing the same misconceptions reported about Canada's COVID Alert app. Constantly framing the story around privacy concerns only begets privacy concerns. The app *does not* share with the government, or anyone, a user's name, location or health information. COVID Alert asks users what province they're in but you can even select "PREFER NOT TO SAY."

The only measure available to gauge the success of Canada's COVID Alert app is the number of downloads: 1.9 million. Beyond that, its effectiveness is practically unknowable. **This does not mean you shouldn't download it.** [thread] cbc.ca/news/technolog… It's unknown how many users have reported a positive test through the app, or how many others have received an exposure notification. The only metric that's ~knowable~ is how many one-time codes have been issued so positive tests can be reported. Ontario isn't disclosing that.

Clearview AI, the facial recognition tech firm, has confirmed my face is in their database. I sent them a headshot and they replied with these pictures, along with links to where they got the pics, including a site called "Insta Stalker." Hoan Ton-That, Clearview AI's CEO, told me in an email Canadians may request to see their data held in the firm's facial recognition database, or may "opt out," but, unlike Californians and Europeans, he did not say Canadians could get the images deleted. cbc.ca/news/technolog…

Police bodycams in Canada: they're rare.

Calgary is still the only major city where all frontline officers wear them.

Vancouver PD told us "police in Canada have not experienced the same level of public demand for body-worn video" than in the U.S. (1/4) cbc.ca/news/canada/po… Toronto police started looking into it more than 5 yrs ago. Now Chief Mark Saunders wants bodycams deployed by September. But there are reasons to question whether that's realistic. They haven't chosen a vendor yet and wouldn't provide @Madeline_McNair with a shortlist. 2/4

New reporting on NS gunman's fake RCMP car and real uniform @CBCTheNational:
It may have been easy to replicate the cruiser decals. Gov't of Canada posts specs online for outfitting RCMP vehicles (with more detail than this) to put decal contracts out for tender (@lisamayor) 1/4 It's also not hard to buy police car accessories if you know where to look... like this lot of police-style car roof lights sold at a public auction in NS in March. 2/4

Federal and B.C. privacy watchdogs have just released a report into Victoria-based firm AggregateIQ, which worked for the Brexit "Vote Leave" campaign, among others. Report says AIQ "often fell short" of privacy laws. More to come... Working for Vote Leave and U.S. campaigns, the privacy watchdogs say AIQ did not restrict its use of personal data to the way users had consented.

Waterfront Toronto’s board of directors is meeting to vote on whether to move forward with Google sister company Sidewalk Labs’ “smart” neighbourhood project. Key conditions that Sidewalk Labs has agreed to, according to Waterfront Toronto:
-12-acre site, not the bigger IDEA District
-No promise of LRT to Quayside
-All personal data will be stored in Canada
-Canadian tech firms will have access to Sidewalk Labs’ patents

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is again the site of skirmishes between security forces and #giletsjaunes protesters. So far much calmer than last week’s riots. Champs-Élysées Avenue is closed to traffic and shops are shut. Thousands of yellow vest protesters are in the street. #gilletsjaunes #paris

At international parliamentary hearing in London, NDP MP Charlie Angus tells Facebook VP Richard Allan "while we were playing on our phones and apps, our democratic institutions... seem to have been upended by frat boy billionaires from California." Facebook VP Richard Allan tells international grand committee on disinformation "I'm not going to disagree with you that we've damaged public trust with some of the actions that we have taken."

Singer James Blunt and his wife Sofia Wellesley arrive at St. George’s Chapel for the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank Cheers from the crowd for Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field

Today’s assignment: checking out some of the movie props/ costumes up for auction at the British Film Institute IMAX. Like Han Solo’s actual jacket from Empire Strikes Back. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. cap from when Forrest runs across America is pretty cool

On the 2nd anniversary of the U.K.’s vote to leave the EU, thousands have marched to Parliament Square, demanding a people’s vote on any final Brexit deal. This is one of the biggest pro-EU marches seen in London since the Brexit vote. #PeoplesVoteMarch #cbc @CBCNews Even by London standards, the pro-EU crowd in and around Parliament Square is huge. MC on stage says organizers hoped for attendance of 100,000 and says they got it. #PeoplesVoteMarch