Online petition launched against Canadian “lawful access” bills

An online petition has been launched in opposition to “lawful access” legislation expected to be reintroduced by the Conservative government this fall.

OpenMedia.ca is organizing the petition against three bills that they say would violate civil liberties and translate to extra costs for Canadians.

“They allow warrantless surveillance of online activity, they’re costly - Internet service providers will have to invest in infrastructure, and that cost is necessarily going to be passed down to either the consumer or the taxpayer,” communications manager Lindsey Pinto told the Straight by phone.

“It’s essentially an antithesis to Internet openness, and we don’t accept it.”

The bills were introduced as C-50, C-51 and C-52 last fall but died on the order paper when the Harper government fell in March.

Pinto said they are expecting the Conservatives to reintroduce them as part of their omnibus crime legislation in September.

“We know the bills are going to be put through,” said Pinto. “The Conservatives announced in their campaign platform that they were going to do so in their 100 days of their term if elected.”

The bills will give the police, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and the Competition Bureau greater powers to intercept online communications and gather information about Internet users. The legislation will also allow law-enforcement authorities to remotely activate tracking devices found in mobile phones and GPS devices in cars.

Pinto noted the bills will require telecom providers in Canada to hand over personal information to authorities without a warrant.

“Every provincial privacy commissioner”¦has spoken out against this,” said Pinto. “This could set a very negative precedent for surveillance in Canada, and just for the way the Internet is treated in Canada.”

In March, B.C.’s information and privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham and other privacy commissioners across the country wrote to the ministry of public safety to express their concerns about the "lawful access" legislation.

OpenMedia.ca is being joined by a group of over 30 other organizations, businesses and academics in challenging the bills.

You can follow Yolande Cole on Twitter at twitter.com/yolandecole.

Comments

5 Comments

Jim Van Rassel

Jun 22, 2011 at 7:42pm

I am for the people, I will protect and defend our Canada, but when it comes to the biggest threat to our Country "The Government" I have nothing.
Jim Van Rassel
Coquitlam BC

Taxpayers R Us

Jun 22, 2011 at 8:35pm

Another good move by OpenMedia.

tolate2

Jun 25, 2011 at 6:55pm

Well Canada - you elected the religious fascist and now you have to live with the consequences.

Canadian

Jun 30, 2011 at 1:59pm

Like the Neo-Cons give a shyte about letter protest :)

With the Neo-Con majority they will ram everything and anything they want into "Law".

Grant Kroetsch

Feb 14, 2012 at 9:33pm

This is a violation of our civil liberties. My god, this is police state stuff. I have no problem with stopping criminal activity, but it should not be left soley to the government and police forces. We need safe guards such as a court orders. The conservative government has gone way too far with this one.