Latest news with #OPC
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Here's how to get a refund on your Quebec day camp
You've registered for – and paid for – a day camp for the kids, but now your summer plans have changed. Are you entitled to a full or partial refund? You sure are, according to Quebec's Consumer Protection Office. According to the office, if you cancel your plans before the start of the camp, you won't have to pay any additional fees or penalties. In an email sent to Noovo Info, the OPC explained that you will be entitled to a full refund of the amount you've already paid. If you cancel after the camp has started, you will still be required to pay for the services already provided, and the day camp organizers may also charge a penalty equal to the lesser of $50 or 10 per cent of the cost of the services not received. 'For example, your contract provides for a 10-day stay at a rate of $40 per day. You cancel after two days. You will be charged a penalty of $32, which corresponds to 10 per cent of the cost of the remaining eight days,' explained the OPC. The law doesn't apply to certain camps, including camps run by public institutions, such as a municipal recreation department. Here's how to cancel To cancel, send the day camp a written notice or fill out the cancellation form that accompanied the contract you signed upon registration. The OPC recommends sending the documents by registered mail. The contract is cancelled upon sending the form or notice. From the date the letter is sent, the camp has 10 days to reimburse you, if applicable., the office explained. What if the camp refuses to refund me? If your day camp refuses to reimburse you according to the regulations outlined above, the Consumer Protection Office recommends that you should call the office to file a complaint. The office will provide you with an information kit including a formal notice form on the Office's letterhead that you can use to escalate the claim. If that approach doesn't result in a refund, you could then turn to small claims court. - With a report from Émile Bérubé-Lupien at Noovo Info
Global News
4 days ago
- Business
- Global News
PowerSchool ‘not off the hook' for data breach: ex-privacy commissioner
A former federal privacy commissioner says PowerSchool is 'not off the hook' over the massive data breach that affected millions of kids, teachers and parents despite the end of an investigation into the company's cybersecurity practices, noting the improvements PowerSchool has committed to making. Chantal Bernier, who was assistant federal privacy commissioner from 2008 to 2014 and held the role of interim commissioner in 2014, told Global News the agreement announced Tuesday was the most effective way for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) to hold PowerSchool accountable, given the deadlines the company now has to boost its security and prove it can prevent future cyberattacks. 'It keeps alive the right for the OPC to initiate a complaint and then go into a full investigation should PowerSchool not come through,' Bernier said in an interview. 'PowerSchool is not off the hook at all.' Story continues below advertisement The OPC said Tuesday that privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne had decided to end his investigation into the breach after PowerSchool 'took measures to contain the breach, notify affected individuals and organizations and offer credit protection, and has voluntarily committed to additional actions to support its security safeguards.' According to a letter of commitment with the OPC signed last week, PowerSchool has until the end of July to provide any additional information related to the data breach to the commissioner, and will need to provide evidence by the end of this year that it has strengthened its monitoring and detection tools. By March 2026, the education software company will also need to get recertified under global information security standards and provide an independent, third-party security assessment and report to the OPC on PowerSchool's updated safeguards to protect personal information, prevent and respond to potential breaches, and other cybersecurity measures. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Dufresne will have to review and approve PowerSchool's plans to accept or reject any recommendations from that report, as well as ensure the company meets its other commitments. The December 2024 hack accessed the personal data — including medical information and social security numbers — of millions of current and former students and thousands of staff across Canada whose schools use PowerSchool's platform. Nearly 90 school boards across Canada confirmed to Global News they had been affected by the breach, with some later receiving ransom demands. Story continues below advertisement A Massachusetts college student, 19-year-old Matthew Lane, agreed in May to plead guilty to criminal charges related to the data breach, including cyber extortion, according to U.S. prosecutors. 1:00 American college student expected to plead guilty in PowerSchool cyberattack that affected CBE Bernier said PowerSchool, unlike some companies that have faced OPC investigations, has so far appeared to be 'open and transparent' with parents, school boards and the OPC in its response to the hack, which helped bring the federal case to an end for now. She pointed out that the OPC's latest annual report, released in June, committed to ensuring companies comply with privacy regulations 'more strategically, using measures that are the most relevant and efficient for any given situation,' quoting Dufresne's opening message from the report. 'That's why I reacted to the announcement (of the agreement) with great satisfaction, because I thought, well, the OPC is making good on its commitment,' said Bernier, who currently works in privacy and cybersecurity law at Dentons in Ottawa and was not involved in the PowerSchool case. Story continues below advertisement 'We already know what happened here. Why would (the OPC) spend Canadian taxpayers' money investigating any further? So let's cut to the chase and say, 'This is what we want to see from you.'' A spokesperson for PowerSchool told Global News it was 'grateful for the Commissioner's collaboration in helping us strengthen our safeguards even further,' after working with the OPC 'to respond swiftly, transparently, and responsibly' to the data breach. A separate investigation by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, which is looking into what role, if any, was played by provincially mandated school boards in the protection of the leaked data, remains ongoing. Bernier said that during her time at the OPC, companies 'surprisingly' followed through with their commitments to improve their privacy and security protections that brought investigations to an end in a similar way. 'The reason I say 'surprisingly' is because you always have a doubt,' she said. 'They're so powerful that you can't help but wonder, do they really submit to those? 'What you discover … is that consumer pressure is so strong that yes, when the organizations are found in default of privacy protection — particularly when it's made public — they get into line, because they want to maintain or restore customer trust.' However, she added she wants to see renewed efforts to give the OPC additional powers under federal privacy laws, particularly through the enforcement of fines and other penalties. Story continues below advertisement Efforts to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act to give the OPC such powers died in the House of Commons in 2020 and 2022. 'It's absolutely necessary, in a context where the use of personal information is so highly profitable, that the misuse must entail proportionate financial consequences,' Bernier said. 'If you're going to make a lot of money using personal data, you have to be subject to paying a lot of money for misusing it.'
Global News
7 days ago
- Global News
Federal probe into massive PowerSchool data breach is being discontinued
Canada's privacy commissioner said Tuesday that he has discontinued his investigation into the PowerSchool data breach after the education software company agreed to take measures to improve its cybersecurity. The December 2024 hack accessed the personal data — including medical information and social security numbers — of millions of current and former students and thousands of staff across Canada. The office of privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne (OPC) said in a news release that PowerSchool 'took measures to contain the breach, notify affected individuals and organizations and offer credit protection, and has voluntarily committed to additional actions to support its security safeguards.' Those actions include 'strengthened monitoring and detection tools,' the OPC release said. 'In light of the actions that PowerSchool has already implemented, and those that it will implement over the coming months, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne has decided to discontinue the investigation that he launched in February but will be monitoring to ensure that all of PowerSchool's commitments are fully met,' it continued. Story continues below advertisement 'I welcome PowerSchool's willingness to engage with my Office to achieve a timely resolution that will result in stronger protections for the personal information of students, parents, and educators across Canada,' Dufresne said in a statement. 'Federal privacy law requires that organizations protect personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. This is particularly important when dealing with children's personal information.' 2:08 Calgary law firm files lawsuit over massive PowerSchool data breach Dufresne's investigation began more than a month after the company began to notify PowerSchool users about the data breach, which impacted school boards across most of North America and other countries that PowerSchool serves. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Global News contacted every school board across the country early this year to determine how many were impacted. Of those that responded, at least 87 were affected. Data from those that provided numbers showed that more than 2.77 million current and former students were confirmed to have been affected. In addition, 35,951 staff members, including teachers, were confirmed impacted, with one Nova Scotia school board advising that 3,500 parents' data was also accessed. Story continues below advertisement Some Canadian school boards informed families in May that they had received new ransom demands involving the stolen data. A Massachusetts college student, 19-year-old Matthew Lane, agreed in May to plead guilty to criminal charges related to the data breach, including cyber extortion, according to U.S. prosecutors. Sources close to the investigation told The Associated Press and Reuters that PowerSchool was the company identified as 'Victim 1' in the criminal complaint. 0:38 Teen charged in mass school data breach tied to PowerSchool What did PowerSchool agree to? According to a letter of commitment with the OPC signed last week and released Tuesday, PowerSchool has until the end of July to provide any additional information related to the data breach to the commissioner, and to confirm if it plans to implement any additional authentication process in its affected PowerSource platform. Story continues below advertisement The company will need to provide evidence by the end of this year that it has strengthened its monitoring and detection tools, that those tools can 'identify patterns of irregular activity,' and that it has thoroughly reviewed and readjusted its system access privileges for both security and operational needs. By March 2026, PowerSchool will need to show that it has obtained recertification of the global information security standard known as ISO/IEC 27001. It must also provide an independent, third-party security assessment and report to the OPC on PowerSchool's updated safeguards to protect personal information, prevent and respond to potential breaches, and other cybersecurity measures. If the report includes recommendations for PowerSchool to implement, the company must show the OPC whether it has accepted them and provide an implementation plan and timelines, or provide reasons why it has not accepted them. The commissioner will have to review and approve those submissions. PowerSchool also agreed to continue supporting affected clients and carry out its regular reporting and notification obligations under federal and provincial privacy laws. The OPC letter said PowerSchool's commitments are 'a fair and reasonable response to the complaint' that sparked Dufresne's investigation in February. Global News has asked the office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if its investigation into the PowerSchool data breach remains ongoing. Story continues below advertisement 'We take the privacy and security of student, educator, and family data extremely seriously,' a PowerSchool spokesperson told Global News in an emailed statement responding to the OPC's announcement. 'Following the 2024 security incident, we worked closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to respond swiftly, transparently, and responsibly. We're grateful for the Commissioner's collaboration in helping us strengthen our safeguards even further. PowerSchool remains fully committed to making continual investments in our security infrastructure and the ongoing support of our education partners across Canada.' — with files from Global's Sean Previl
Business Recorder
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Overseas Pakistanis: Services of OPC Punjab to be improved
LAHORE: Commissioner OPC Saman Rai has said that overseas Pakistanis are a valuable asset to the country, and providing them with timely facilities and addressing their complaints is among the top priorities of the Government of Punjab. While presiding over a high-level meeting of the Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab Commissioner Saman Rai discussed various reform initiatives aimed at making services provided more efficient, modern, and accessible. The meeting was attended by Director General OPC Ahmar Malik, Director Admin Aamir Ahmed Khan, Director Police Matters Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, Director Revenue Shoaib Niswana, Assistant Director Budget Azeem Bari, and Assistant Director IT Farhan Ramzan. It was decided in the meeting that the complaint redressal system would be fully aligned with modern requirements. The OPC mobile app will soon be made available on the Apple App Store, and a call centre will be reactivated to ensure immediate complaint registration and guidance. Additionally, the user interface of the web portal will be improved to make it more user-friendly and in line with international standards. She instructed that all digital platforms of OPC be upgraded to meet public expectations and international standards to enhance trust in the institution and ensure timely and transparent resolution of each complaint. Saman Rai is an officer of the Government of Punjab, Pakistan Administrative Service, currently serving in Grade 20. She has been posted as the Commissioner OPC Punjab to expedite pro diaspora engagement and complaint redressal mechanism. Throughout her career, she has served at various key administrative positions including Director General Population Welfare and Director General Public Relations (DGPR) Punjab. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Mint
13-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Solo entrepreneurs not personally liable for debts of their one person firms: HC
Mumbai: A crucial ruling by the Bombay High Court, which declared that solo entrepreneurs operating One Person Companies (OPCs) generally cannot be held personally liable for company debts, could give a shot in the arm to entrepreneurship in India, experts said. The 3 July judgement reinforces the legislative intent behind one person companies by ring-fencing the private assets of entrepreneurs from their business liabilities while also raising the bar for creditors attempting to pursue the founder's personal assets. The ruling emerged from a dispute between Endemol India and Innovative Film Academy Pvt. Ltd, an OPC solely owned by Saravana Prasad. Endemol sought to recover over ₹ 10 crore in unpaid dues from a production agreement, not only from the company but also from Prasad personally, demanding disclosure of his private assets. An arbitral tribunal had initially ordered both the company and Prasad to deposit the disputed sum in a fixed deposit and disclose their financial details. Prasad and Innovative Film Academy promptly challenged this order in the Bombay High Court. The high court firmly reaffirmed that an OPC, despite having just one shareholder and director, remains a distinct legal entity. This crucial distinction means a company's debts do not automatically become the personal responsibility of its owner. 'The OPC is meant to create a framework whereby individuals who need the protection of limited liability can ring-fence their personal liability and personal assets from the risks involved in the businesses run by them,' the court observed. Crucially, the court found no evidence that Prasad had personally guaranteed the company's debts or acted outside his role as director. It clarified that, absent a clear contractual or legal basis—such as a personal guarantee or proven fraud—the sole shareholder cannot be made personally liable for the company's obligations. The court upheld the tribunal's order requiring Innovative Film Academy to place the disputed sum in a fixed deposit to ensure funds are available if Endemol's claim ultimately succeeds. There were about 68,500 active OPCs in India as of 31 May, as per data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. This compares to 1.9 million active companies, of which 1.8 million are private limited. The concept of OPCs was first introduced in India in 2013. Experts believe this ruling strongly aligns with the legislative policy to encourage entrepreneurship by allowing individuals to register OPCs and insulate their personal assets from business risks. 'This judgment brings in the desired clarity with respect to liability of sole member and company," said Gaurav Pingle, a practising company secretary. It will reinforce confidence in formation of One Person Companies by entrepreneurs, giving a fillip to starting up new businesses in India, he said. The judgement also sets a crucial legal precedent regarding debt recovery from OPCs. 'Till date there has been no case law relating to OPC. This seems to be the very first one and it has continued with the existing jurisprudence of restricting the grounds on which the corporate veil is to be lifted,' said Jayesh H, co-founder of Juris Corp. The ruling could prompt arbitral tribunals and lower courts to be more cautious when imposing personal liability on OPC owners without clear evidence, said Vishal Gehrana, partner designate at Karanjawala & Co. There is a perceivable downside to this ruling, too. Overly strict adherence to this principle by courts could lead to the risk of misuse, experts warned. 'If courts are rigid in upholding the corporate form in all circumstances, there is a possibility that individuals could exploit the OPC structure to shield themselves from liability, even in cases involving fraud, misrepresentation, or diversion of funds,' Gehrana stated. Thankfully, the benefits of OPCs being a separate legal entity cannot be availed when the person has committed frauds, misused the company as an entity or given personal guarantee and then defaulted, said Pingle, the company secretary. The ruling undeniably raises the bar for creditors seeking to recover dues from OPC owners. 'Creditors must now be more diligent in their contractual arrangements with OPCs, ensuring that personal guarantees or other security mechanisms are in place if they wish to have recourse beyond the company's assets,' Gehrana said. He added that without such arrangements or clear evidence of fraud, creditors cannot automatically look to the personal assets of the sole shareholder. Despite the new-found clarity, lawyers caution that certain ambiguities persist. 'The scope of veil piercing is not fully elaborated—the judgment affirms that the veil can be pierced in cases of fraud or wrongdoing, but does not specify the evidentiary threshold or the precise circumstances that would justify such action for OPCs,' Gehrana noted, suggesting this could lead to inconsistent application in future cases.
