Blog
Page 2 of 11
Jul 2
2019
The Google ‘Smart City’ Plan: Financial Language of Hi-Tech Colonialism
George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English language” is my suggested summer reading for Toronto city councillors and anyone interested in the ‘smart city’ plan that Sidewalk Labs/Google has proposed for Toronto’s waterfront. This is where you can peruse the multi-volume work, but if plowing through googlespeak for 1500 pages doesn’t appeal, you can instead read the informative ‘
By Mariana Valverde / Posted Tuesday July 2, 2019
Jun 27
2019
Censorship Has No Place in the University
Recent events at the University of British Columbia show again the powerful allure of censorship as the way to deal with deeply concerning social issues. In this case, the issue is sexual identity and gender identity.
By James L Turk / Posted Thursday June 27, 2019
Jun 10
2019
Shorts, Tank Tops, Bread and Circuses
Last month, after nearly a decade, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Canada’s largest, updated its policy on student dress.
By Danielle S. McLaughlin / Posted Monday June 10, 2019
May 13
2019
Google’s “Urban Data” Plan: Evading Regulation While Promoting the Appearance of Transparency
If you care about corporations monetizing data generated by people’s desire to communicate, you may have read worrying stories featuring some of the Google octopus of companies, including Sidewalk Labs, whose ‘smart city’ proposals for Toronto’s waterfront have drawn much critical attention in this blog and elsewhere.
By Mariana Valverde / Posted Monday May 13, 2019
Apr 2
2019
Revisiting the Maclean’s Human Rights Code Complaint
Almost 12 years ago complaints were made under the Canada Human Rights Act [CHRA] and the BC Human Rights Code [BCHRC] against Maclean’s Magazine following its publication of an excerpt from Mark Steyn’s book, America Alone. The substance of the complaints was that in publishing this material (on-line and in and print) Maclean’shad exposed Muslims to hatred and contempt contrary to s. 13 of the CHRA and s. 7 of the BC Code.
By Richard Moon / Posted Tuesday April 2, 2019
Mar 6
2019
Where is Canada’s Tinker?
In February 2019, public school students of the United States marked a major victory. Fifty years ago, the decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School Districtexonerated one middle school and two high school students who had been forbidden to wear black arm bands to school to protest the war in Vietnam.
By Danielle S. McLaughlin / Posted Wednesday March 6, 2019
Mar 1
2019
A Travesty of Fairness: Your Ward News, Canada Post, and the CPCA Review Board
Your Ward News (YWN) is a publication of unremitting offensiveness – in truth it is little more than a senseless and grotesque cartoon. Yet that is largely beside the point under the Charter. Though it took time and a concerted campaign by those offended by YWN’s existence, the law’s force was eventually brought to bear on its publishers.
By Jamie Cameron / Posted Friday March 1, 2019
Feb 19
2019
Toronto's Leadership Dithers While Sidewalk Labs Plans City Revenue Grab
The ‘smart city’ proposal, concocted by Google-affiliated Sidewalk Labs behind the backs not only of citizens but of all our elected officials, was leaked to the Toronto Star on Thursday Feb. 15.
By Mariana Valverde / Posted Tuesday February 19, 2019
Jan 28
2019
Winning the battle but losing the war: Your Ward News conviction a win against hate?
The editor and publisher of Your Ward News willfully promoted hatred against Jews and women. This is both a plainly obvious conclusion to draw after a 30 second review of the "paper" and the decision of a recent criminal case against the editor and publisher. While much of the public response to the conviction has celebrated it as a victory against hate, history may prove otherwise.
By Abbas Kassam / Posted Monday January 28, 2019
Jan 14
2019
What Is a Data Trust and Why Are We Even Talking About It? Sidewalk Labs’ Magic Tricks
Sidewalk Labs, a unit of Google’s parent company, with a big assist from Waterfront Toronto, started their career in magic over a year ago. They directed our collective attention to artsy pictures of imaginary buildings and gadgets – and away from anything financial. And anything legal.
By Mariana Valverde / Posted Monday January 14, 2019