With all of the media focus on the erosion of personal privacy here in the U.S., it's interesting to take a short visit north of the border and see what our hockey-loving neighbors might have to contend with in the over-reaching name of security.
Oversight? What's that? I think I heard the term once.One of Canada's largest Internet service providers is warning its customers that Big Brother is lurking online, with the federal government expected to revive an Internet surveillance bill. If the legislation is reintroduced, it could allow police unfettered access to personal information without a warrant, experts warn.
Bell Sympatico has informed its customers that it intends to "monitor or investigate content or your use of your service provider's networks and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy any laws, regulations or other governmental request.''
Bell Sympatico's new customer service agreement, which took effect June 15, is a clear signal the telecommunications industry expects the Conservative government to revive the surveillance law, said Michael Geist, an Internet law professor at the University of Ottawa. "Everybody expects it's going to be reintroduced,'' Geist said in an interview. "If anything, (the new bill) will be a hardened approach.''
Geist fears police will be able to demand customer information from Internet providers without having to make a case before a judge, opening the door wide to an abuse of civil rights.
The recent arrest of 17 men in the Toronto area on terrorism charges proves that Canada already has effective law enforcement tools, Geist argues. "Authorities were able to investigate and arrest 17 individuals with the laws we have in place,'' he said. "Even if we do reach the conclusion that we need new laws, we need oversight included in the system.''
CTV.ca | Sympatico's customers warned of privacy loss
technorati tags:Canada, Privacy, Surveillance, Internet, Michael+Geist, Bell+Sympatico, Police, Terrorism
