Several Markham PC repair shops caught Snooping on people, Markham food banks in need of menstrual products and more.
Here's The Markhamite for October 24th, 2023
Hi Markhamites,
This is your official one-week warning to Halloween - If you haven’t yet, now is the time to raid both Costcos to stock up on candy for Next Tuesday.
Get outside and enjoy the weather with a few last glimpses of False Summer on Wednesday and Thursday before it dips back into an eerie chill for next week.
Today’s reading time is 5 minutes.
York Region food banks are in dire need of menstrual products.
Regional food banks are sounding the alarm about the lack of women’s menstrual products available to them. As more and more community members rely on food banks to get by, with an increased cost of living, those dependent on them often forego buying these products for themselves or family members.
Markham Food Bank currently serves about 2,000 regular citizens. For them, it’s an issue of supply: they often have to store donations away until the end of the year to give away in Christmas packages because there are not enough to supply patrons week to week.
If you can, the Food Banks of York Region would like you to consider including these products to drop in the donation bin outside your grocery store.
Several Markham Computer and phone repair shops caught snooping on people's devices once sent in for repair.
A marketplace investigation has revealed that technicians working at three Markham PC repair shops accessed personal and private folders of devices sent in for repair. According to Marketplace, The Markville Best Buy:
“They found a technician had browsed through several photo folders, including ones with names like "Bikinis," "Date Fits," and "Nightwear." The technician also removed an intimate photo they had opened from the recently accessed files, thus erasing any indication it had been opened.”
A second computer repair service in Markham was also caught - Canada Computers.
At the Markham location, a technician viewed intimate photos as extra large icons, which makes them easier to see without actually opening them, meaning they wouldn't turn up as recently accessed files. The person also viewed the laptop's browser history before ultimately fixing the USB drive and then copying all of the photos on the computer onto their own USB key.
Canada Computers responded in an email statement.
Canada Computers said it takes "its obligation to respect its customers' personal information very seriously" and that its own investigation of the incident indicated it was an isolated event where one technician at one location violated its privacy policy. It also said, "That employee has been subject to discipline.”
One more computer repair shop was caught looking at personal information - Canada Link, Although they blamed the privacy incursion on troubleshooting.
One Markham PC repair shop did not snoop - Apple repair depot.
More on tap for this week
October 24:
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Development Services Public Meeting
Development Services Public Meetings for the following locations will take place in the Council Chambers at the Civic Centre:
- 11251 Woodbine Avenue
- 3208 Elgin Mills Road East
- 710 Markland Street
Note: We will recap significant outcomes in the next edition
October 28, 29: Markham Scaryfest at Markham Museum - Get your tickets here.
October 29: 1:30 PM St Michael’s Buzzers at Markham Royals Jr. A Hockey - Tickets are $15 at Centennial Community Centre.
One Last Thing…
Now that I have your attention, Leave a comment about what you would like to see or hear more about from The Markhamite.