Articles by: Michael Geist

CRTC Uncovers New Rogers Net Neutrality Violation

The CRTC has written to Rogers Communication following the identification of yet another violation of the Commission’s Internet traffic management policy. Rogers has announced plans to drop its traffic throttling practices, but the CRTC wants the new issue addressed immediately. I discussed the role of the CRTC in putting an […]

March 2, 2012 — 1 comment — Columns

Lawful Access Sends Signal Canada Is Open for Big Brother Inc. Business

Appeared in the Toronto Star on February 26, 2012 as Bill C-30 Open Canada to Big Brother Inc. Business Privacy International, one of the world’s leading privacy organizations, last year released the results of a multi-year investigation into the shadowy world of the commercial surveillance industry. Dubbed â€œBig Brother Inc.â€, […]

March 2, 2012 — Comments are Disabled — Columns Archive

Searching for Compromise on Online Surveillance

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on February 20, 2012 as Why Governments Can’t Pass a Privacy Bill The introduction of Internet surveillance legislation last week generated an immediate storm of outrage. Fueled by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ comments that critics of the legislation were â€œsiding with child pornographers,â€ the […]

March 2, 2012 — Comments are Disabled — Columns Archive

How the CRTC Helped to Put An End to Internet Throttling

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on February 13, 2012 as Putting an End to Internet Throttling Hockey may be Canada’s national pastime, but criticizing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) surely ranks as a close second. From the substitution of Canadian commercials during the Super Bowl broadcast to the […]

March 2, 2012 — 1 comment — Columns Archive

Assessing ACTA: My Appearance Before the European Parliament INTA Workshop on ACTA

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement has mushroomed into a massive political issue in Europe in recent weeks with protests in hundreds of cities across the continent. Much of the focus has been on whether the European Parliament will give its approval to the agreement. The focal point of attention within the EP has been on the INTA committee, which holds a public workshop on the issue today. Interest in the workshop has been incredible – there are apparently 800 registrants with thousands more expected to watch the live stream.

Several months ago, I was approached to write one of several reports for the ACTA workshop. The report will be made public in the next couple of weeks, but I’ll be on the workshop’s first panel (along with Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Professor Christophe Geiger) to discuss my report and the agreement. The panel starts at 9:15 ET. I only have ten minutes for opening remarks, so the comments target a few of the findings from the report. A transcript of my planned remarks is posted with EP permission below:

March 1, 2012 — 9 comments — Committees, News