Appeared in the Toronto Star on August 19, 2012 as Public Safety Shuffle Could Allow for an Internet Surveillance Restart Sometime in the next few weeks, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is expected to be appointed to the Manitoba Court of Appeal. The Toews appointment is among the worst kept […]
Post Tagged with: "c-30"
The Magnotta Case and Online Surveillance
The CBC reports that it obtained documents under the Access to Information Act in which the government tries to justify statements from Public Safety Minister Vic Toews that Bill C-30, the online surveillance bill, would have assisted with the Luka Magnotta investigation. I appeared on CBC’s Power and Politics to challenge the claims. This interview is available on YouTube, but for better video quality, watch it on CBC’s website.
Canadian Privacy Gets Toews-ed Again: Why a PIA on Airport Eavesdropping Isn’t Good Enough
The toxic connection between Toews and privacy escalated over the weekend with a report that Canada Border Services has installed surveillance equipment in the Ottawa airport that will allow for eavesdropping on traveller conversations. The report led to immediate questions in the House of Commons with Toews defending the practices and even revealing that the eavesdropping activities may be more extensive than initially reported. A day later, Toews was backtracking, announcing that the eavesdropping plans were on hold pending a review from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
That’s a start (the federal commissioner’s office expressed concern that no privacy impact assessment (PIA) has been filed), but frankly it isn’t nearly good enough to address the privacy concerns associated with this issue.
Toews Draws False Link Between Magnotta Investigation and Lawful Access
As the search for Luka Magnotta continues, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has used the case as an opportunity to claim that Bill C-30 would have helped with the investigation. According to Toews, the Internet surveillance legislation would be helpful – “Certainly, that’s what the police have told me – […]
The Secret Lawful Access Regs: What the Gov Told the Telcos While Keeping the Public in the Dark
The regulations policy document are not the regulations per se, but rather a clear indication of planned regulations under the guise of a policy document. The document contains several key sections: