News

“Retreat” on Lawful Access Must Mean Government Stops Misleading on Subscriber Data

With the government now said to be “retreating” from its initial position on the Internet surveillance bill – Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says the government will entertain amendments – the starting point should be to stop misleading on the privacy concerns associated with subscriber data. Concerns about warrantless access to subscriber information such as email and IP addresses have been at the forefront of the Bill C-30 criticism, but the government persists in claiming this information is “the modern day equivalent of the phone book.” According to the Public Safety talking points on the bill:

Myth: Basic subscriber information is way beyond “phone book information”.

Fact: The basic subscriber information described in the proposed legislation is the modern day equivalent of information that is accessed from the phone book. These identifiers are often searchable online and shared between individuals in online communications.

The government persists in justifying its mandatory disclosure of subscriber information without a warrant on the basis that the information is as openly available the phone book, yet this is plainly untrue.

February 16, 2012 — 38 comments — News

Report Says Canada – EU Trade Deal Could Cost Ontario $1.2 Billion Per Year From Higher Pharma Costs

The Drummond Report is attracting significant attention with its somewhat dire outlook for the Ontario economy. The report includes a notable warning about the costs of the proposed Canada – EU Trade Agreement, particularly the increased costs arising from patent reforms being promoted by large pharmaceutical companies: The outcome of […]

February 16, 2012 — 4 comments — News

Why a Lawful Access Compromise Can Be Found

The launch of Bill C-30, the online surveillance legislation dubbed the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act, went about as expected with the government taken to task with big brother imagery (“Say Hello to Big Brother Government“) and criticism over the lack of evidence (“Conservatives hew to common sense save for bizarre crime fixation“), the security threats (“Online surveillance bill will be â€˜a gold mine’ for hackers: Ontario privacy commissioner“), and the absence of a thoughtful digital vision (“Canada’s embarrassing failure on lawful access legislation“). The divisive comments from Public Safety Minister Vic Toews seemed to shape much of the dialogue, serving to ratchet up the rhetoric and overshadow both the modest changes to the bill and the legitimate remaining concerns of many Canadians.

I did a large number of interviews with print, radio (the As It Happens interview covers many of the concerns), and television (CBC, CTV, and Global) and was left wondering whether there is a compromise to be had in an environment where the Conservative majority government can obviously pass the bill but only at a significant political cost given public opinion. I may be naive, but I think it is possible.

February 15, 2012 — 79 comments — News

Bill C-11 Committee Timeline Set

The Bill C-11 committee reviewing the copyright reform bill met for the first time yesterday and set out a fast-paced plan to conclude review of the bill. The committee will meet for 12 hours per week – four times a week for three hours each – until mid-March. It will […]

February 15, 2012 — 9 comments — News

Toews Has Been Smearing Online Surveillance Critics For Weeks

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ shocking comments on critics of online surveillance in the House of Commons yesterday have attracted widespread media attention with coverage in the Globe, CBC, and Postmedia. Toews responded to questions about online surveillance by accusing critics of siding with child pornographers:

As technology evolves, many criminal activities, such as the distribution of child pornography, become much easier. We are proposing measures to bring our laws into the 21st century and to provide the police with the lawful tools that they need. He can either stand with us or with the child pornographers.

Toews may be surprised by the negative reaction because he has been saying similar things for weeks. Consider:

February 14, 2012 — 77 comments — News