Latest news with #MNO
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
MCMC says anonymised mobile phone data not classified as 'personal data'
CYBERJAYA: Anonymised mobile phone data (MPD) collected by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is not classified as personal data. MCMC deputy managing director Datuk Zurkarnain Mohd Yasin said this is because the data they received from mobile network operators (MNO) cannot be used to identify or trace individuals. He said the eight data sets collected by MNO only include an anonymised identifier set by the operators, date and time of the transaction by transmitters, location of the transmission tower connected to the devices, type of network and country identifier. Zurkarnain gave his assurance that they were in full compliance of Malaysian laws and international standards. On Friday, MCMC clarified that its collection of mobile phone data from mobile network operators does not involve the access , processing or disclosure of any personally identifiable information. MCMC said the mobile phone data will be used strictly to generate official statistics to support evidence-based policymaking in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and the tourism sector. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, on Sunday, said MCMC is not seeking any personal data of users from telecommunications companies. He said MCMC's recent request to telcos was for anonymised data to support evidence-based policymaking, including for network infrastructure improvements.
Cision Canada
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Manitoba Métis Federation and Chiefs of Ontario renew calls for government and institutional action in addressing Indigenous identity fraud
WINNIPEG, MB, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Last week marked one year since the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, co-hosted the Summit on Indigenous Identity Fraud, a landmark gathering that brought together First Nation, Red River Métis, and Inuit Leadership from several regions across the country to begin the discussion on how to collectively address the growing crisis of false claims to Indigenous identity. The Summit, held on May 14-15, 2024, in Winnipeg, MB, was a call to action rooted in the defense of Indigenous sovereignty, the protection of community integrity, and the responsibility to uphold truth and accountability in all institutions. Over the past year, the urgency of this issue has only intensified, as more cases have come to light where groups and individuals falsely claim Indigenous ancestry for personal, professional, or institutional gain. The first Summit proved to be a pivotal moment for Indigenous Nations taking a collaborative approach to address Indigenous Identity fraud. Ontario First Nations and MMF opposed the inclusion of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) in federal Métis self-government legislation, Bill C-53, because the communities represented by MNO did not exist historically and therefore cannot be considered an "Indigenous group". "The Summit and its resolution condemning Bill C-53 as the ultimate reward of Indigenous identity theft at the collective level undoubtedly played a part in the federal government abandoning this legislation last year", said Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict. Going forward, MMF and COO plan to focus on effective measures to counter the threat of identity fraud confronting legitimate Indigenous Nations. Next steps will include discussions on how to address the threat that Indigenous Identity theft poses to major projects such as energy corridors and critical minerals that are being proposed to meet the threat of tariffs hanging over Canada. "We will continue to make it clear to industry and governments that if they hope to advance projects in our territories, entertaining fraudulent groups who are making false claims only poses a risk to the progress of the initiative because of the inevitable strong opposition. We continue to urge governments to ensure they are negotiating and signing agreements with legitimate Indigenous Nations", said Regional Chief Benedict. Next steps will also include discussions about the Métis National Council Expert Panel Final Report that was released in April 2025. The Expert Panel was tasked with examining the legitimacy of the so-called "historic Métis communities" in Ontario. MMF and COO both effectively dismissed the findings of the final report and are of the position that the Expert Panel was incorrect in its conclusion that the MNO communities are "an integral part of the Métis Nation" and that there were significant problems with the process that cause skepticism from the very start. "The outcome of this report was never in question," said MMF President David Chartrand, "When the 'expert panel' was proposed in 2021, we already knew what the findings would be, as did those commissioning it… Their objective has always been clear - to wave a magic wand and create a new people. We know who we are, as do the First Nations of Ontario, and there is simply no room for MNO to create a new people." Believe in Yourself; Believe in Métis. The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) is the democratically elected National Government of the Red River Métis, also known as the Manitoba Métis. The Red River Métis are a distinct Indigenous Nation and People and Canada's Negotiating Partners in Confederation and the Founders of the Province of Manitoba.
CBC
10-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Métis Nation of Ontario claims vindication while critics dismiss long-awaited report on communities
Social Sharing The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is claiming vindication after a much-anticipated report affirmed the presence of seven Métis communities in the province. Opponents, however, are dismissing the review as "bogus," with a predetermined outcome. Since 2021, a panel of four Métis experts has been investigating whether "new historic communities" recognized in 2017 truly belong to the Métis Nation. MNO leaders say the result was anything but preordained. "A test was set up by some, probably hoping we would fail, and we passed the test," said Mitch Case, regional councillor for the Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community. The Métis National Council (MNC) appointed the panel before its Saskatchewan and British Columbia members left, following Manitoba's lead, leaving MNC with just Alberta and Ontario. The panel included Marilyn Poitras, Larry Chartrand, Shelly (Niemi) Wilton and Dylan AT Miner, appointed out of Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and Ontario respectively. After reviewing 50,000 pages of paper and visiting the communities, the panel concluded the communities meet MNC's national definition for Métis citizenship. "Thus, it is our expert opinion that these communities are integral to the Métis Nation and its Homeland," they write. The Métis Nation–Saskatchewan and the Métis Nation B.C. rejected the findings, and so did the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), calling the probe a phony exercise full of ludicrous assertions. "It was predetermined right from the get-go," said Will Goodon, MMF minister of identity protection and inter-Indigenous relations. "We were absolutely correct, at the end of the day, that the MNO is pulling the strings of this panel … It's really irrelevant. But at the same time, it's a sad display of the MNO trying to stay relevant." The Chiefs of Ontario (COO), an umbrella organization for First Nations in the province, also denounced the report as misinformation. "This proves nothing," said Shelly Moore-Frappier, chief of Temagami First Nation in northeastern Ontario. "This is still a report that is reliant on the colonial narrative and documents that really do not prove nationhood." 'Lateral violence' Later in the report, the panel says the attacks from other Métis leaders, some academics and Ontario chiefs "are forms of lateral violence and could be considered a form of hate speech and, possibly, cultural genocide." The panel cites a comment made by Scott McLeod, then chief of Nipissing First Nation, at a summit on identity fraud last year. He was reflecting on going to schools and presenting about Indigenous identity, telling the summit, "It's very difficult to tell a young person, who has been lied to from birth, that you are not who you think you are." The report says, "This type of approach to addressing children resonates with the cultural genocide found in the residential school experience — telling children their parents are heathens, and that they need to be educated." McLeod, who is now Anishinabek Nation chief for the Lake Huron region, defended his comment, calling the review "bogus" and "a whitewash." "We're simply telling the truth, but they're trying to gaslight us, saying we're being laterally violent and telling the kids these awful things," he said. "The audacity — that they would try and connect that to what happened in residential schools — is beyond comprehension. It's offensive and it's despicable, quite honestly." MNO President Margaret Froh called McLeod's comment at the summit extremely troubling but said the panel's opinions are its own. "It's an affirmation for those communities, their history, and for those young people as well who will face, and continue to face, that kind of denialism," she said of the report. "We will continue to move forward with the good work that we are doing, now with yet another tool in our toolbox." Tony Belcourt, founding president of the Native Council of Canada in 1971 and MNO in 1993, says relations with Ontario First Nations weren't always so contentious. "They used to come to our assemblies and Louis Riel Day ceremonies regularly. We had a protocol with the Chiefs of Ontario," said Belcourt. Belcourt, who went on to lead MNO through the landmark Powley court case in 2003, produced a signed copy of that political protocol from 2004. "I'm glad to see that the heavy weight of denial over the legitimacy of the Métis of Ontario and our communities here has finally been lifted," he said. Belcourt said it should be possible to rekindle the nation-to-nation relationship through ceremony, but the MNO's opponents said the report changes nothing. Moore-Frappier said MNO is stealing Anishinaabe ancestors — saying one of MNO's root ancestors is actually her great-great grandmother — and lacks evidence of nationhood, such as a distinct Indigenous language. Froh cited the Métis community in the Sault Ste. Marie area, where the report says the Ontario government seized and burned a Métis village in 1967 to clear the way for Lake Superior Provincial Park, which she said Métis from the Prairies would find familiar. Meanwhile, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government in Alberta said it neither supports nor endorses the review, while MNC said it cannot approve or endorse the findings since it's an advocacy body, not a government.
CBC
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ontario First Nation leaders tell resource companies not to negotiate with provincial Métis group
Social Sharing Ontario First Nation leaders used this week's Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference to demand that resource companies not negotiate with the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). They say the Métis group has no legitimate right to be consulted on projects on their lands or to benefit from such projects – an allegation the MNO rejects. "There are no historic Métis in our territories," said Jason Batise, the executive director of the Wabun Tribal Council. "And yet the Ontario government policy insists that we engage with them, that industry engage with them." The Wabun Tribal Council is challenging the policy in court, he said. The news conference was the latest chapter in a battle that has pitted the Chiefs of Ontario and the Manitoba Métis Federation against the Ontario Métis group, a battle that the latter characterizes as politically motivated. It comes as Ontario premier Doug Ford, citing the economic threat posed by new American tariffs, has renewed his push to fast-track new resource development in the province – a move First Nation leaders have also pushed back against. 'What's next? Who else wants to be Indigenous?' Batise said his community has found a path forward with industry but government requirements to consult the Métis makes the work of resource companies even more difficult. "We're talking about protecting the rights of First Nations," he said, "because if MNO can do it, what's next? Who else wants to be Indigenous?" A provincial secretary with the Métis Nation of Ontario rejected allegations that the group's claims are illegitimate. "There's only one Métis community in the country that has been recognised by the Supreme Court as being Section 35 rights holding, and it is the Métis community in Sault Ste. Marie," said Mitch Case, the regional councillor for the Huron Superior Métis Community for the provisional council of the MNO. "When we won the Powley case 20 some years ago – all of these people that are now criticizing the MNO – I could send you their press releases where they congratulated us and told us it was a victory for all Indigenous people." One lawyer and former First Nation chief said she blames the provincial government for fanning the flames of the conflict because of a lack of care in identifying legitimate rights-holders. The government sends a form letter to project proponents with a list of Indigenous groups they need to consult, Sara Mainville said. "Generally it's the local first nations within a certain radius," she said. "And every single time, it's the Métis Nation of Ontario. Every single time. … And that's just pure laziness." Some of the conflicts also date back to a controversial 2017 decision by the government of Kathleen Wynne to recognize six historic Métis communities in Ontario that hadn't previously been recognized, she said – a decision she said was made with a lack of due diligence. Concerns with Indigenous identity fraud Asked during the mining conference if the Ontario government could step in and provide more guidance on industry's obligations to the Métis organization, Minister of Mines George Pirie simply said the province will continue to respect its duty to consult with Indigenous communities. Mainville said it's important for governments to address the issue because Indigenous identity fraud is a significant problem. She said it is also confusing to some First Nation people that some MNO members are Métis people whose ancestral ties are to communities in western Canada. But Case, who is also the organization's provincial secretary for rights, intergovernmental relations and communications, said the MNO does not assert rights in southern Ontario, where the majority of its members who don't hold rights in Ontario reside. And, he said, only members who are rights-holders in a given area are entitled to benefits that derive from that area. The organization, Case said, uses the same system as other Métis organizations across Canada to verify the Indigeneity of its members. That system, according to its website, is based on the 2003 Powley decision from the Supreme Court of Canada. The court in that case laid out broad criteria for verifying Métis identity for the purpose of asserting rights: individuals have to have had a long-standing self-identity as Métis; they must provide evidence of an ancestral connection to a historic Métis community, and they must be accepted by a modern community that is a continuation of the historic community. In 2023, the Métis Nation of Ontario passed a resolution permitting the removal of citizens who did not meet the organization's current membership requirements. That followed the publication of the results of its registry review in 2021, which found that 5,402 out of 23,978 membership records were incomplete, according to MNO's website. Mainville said she understands the frustrations of the First Nation leaders who have had to fight for recognition only to find themselves sharing it with "newcomers" that may not share their protocols or priorities, she said. "But I also feel like we're being divided and conquered because we're not talking to each other," she added. "Maybe we should do some of that as well."
Associated Press
03-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Lynk Global and MEO Pioneering Direct-to-Device (D2D) Satellite Technology in Portugal
Lynk Global, Inc. ('Lynk'), a leading satellite-direct-to-device (D2D) provider, today announced the successful demonstration of its patented D2D technology in Portugal, in partnership with MEO, the market-leading telecommunications operator in Portugal. This milestone continues Lynk's successful testing of its technology on all seven continents and marks the first time a national operator in Portugal, MEO, has implemented D2D satellite technology, reinforcing its position at the forefront of telecommunications innovation while advancing Lynk's mission to provide ubiquitous coverage for any standard mobile device anywhere in the world. The tests, conducted in a remote area in the Azores Islands, utilized MEO's mobile frequencies connected directly to Lynk's satellites to successfully demonstrate emergency cellular broadcast, messaging, and voice calls using unmodified devices across various phone manufacturers and models. The demonstration highlighted how Lynk's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, effectively functioning as 'cell-towers-in-space', ensure service continuity and resilience, particularly in crises when traditional cell tower communications may be compromised or unavailable. Daniel Dooley, Chief Commercial Officer of Lynk, said, 'The latest successful test with MEO shows that Lynk's patented technology works anywhere in the world, even in remote islands and maritime areas 1,000 miles off the coast of mainland Europe. As a major global D2D provider, we look forward to continue working with MEO to enhance connectivity and expand coverage for all its customers.' José Pedro Nascimento, Chief Technology Officer of MEO, added, 'As the first national operator in Portugal to deploy Lynk's innovative D2D satellite technology, MEO is once again pushing the boundaries of what's possible in telecommunications. By implementing this cutting-edge technology, we are connecting rural, mountainous, and coastal regions that are typically underserved or completely out of reach of conventional mobile networks. This collaboration with Lynk positions us at the forefront of global connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted communication for all our customers, no matter where they are.' About Lynk Lynk is a patented, proven, and commercially-licensed satellite-direct-to-standard-mobile-phone system. Today, Lynk allows commercial subscribers to send and receive text messages to and from space via standard unmodified, mobile devices. Lynk's service has been tested and proven on all seven continents, has regulatory approvals in more than 30 countries and is currently being deployed commercially based on more than 50 MNO commercial service contracts covering approximately 60 countries. Lynk is currently providing cell broadcast (emergency) alerts, and two-way SMS messaging, and intends to launch voice and mobile broadband services in the future. For more information, visit About MEO MEO, as the market leader in the telecommunications sector in Portugal, has consolidated its position through a strategy of continuous innovation and portfolio diversification. In addition to traditional voice, television, and internet services, MEO invests in differentiated platforms and next-generation infrastructures such as fiber optics, 5G, and artificial intelligence. The operator is also expanding into new areas, with a focus on Ticketing and Energy, being the first global operator to offer a combined solution of telecommunications and 100% green electricity services. Through Altice Wholesale Solutions, the company develops and manages a range of services dedicated to the telecommunications industry, addressing the needs of CSPs, ISPs, content providers, and pure wholesalers, further solidifying its presence in the global market. Tony DeTora [email protected] Lynk Investors: Alex Jorgensen SOURCE: Lynk Global, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/03/2025 08:50 AM/DISC: 03/03/2025 08:50 AM
