Brickbats

Brickbat: Need to Know

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Statistics Canada, the government agency which conducts the nation's census, has ordered banks and other financial institutions to give it personal transaction data for 500,000 people without their consent. The agency says it needs the data, including everything from account balances to ATM cash withdrawals, to create reports on the nation's spending habits and consumer trends. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promises the data will be anonymized and no one's privacy will be breached.