Canadian DU'ers: You have Big Brother waiting, if.....read story

[steve2470]

http://www.canada.com/technology/story.html?id=edf6b6d4-412e-4ae5-abdb-f5a89d0f8279

The Ottawa Citizen

Friday, August 26, 2005



Internet providers such as Bell Sympatico and Rogers say consumers might have to foot the bill for the cost of implementing the federal government's controversial new proposals for police interception of Internet communications.

Last week, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler unveiled plans to present a legislative package to cabinet this fall that would require Internet service providers to put all Internet communications, including chat rooms, e-mails, text messages and Internet telephony, under surveillance at the request of law-enforcement agencies who obtain a court order. Police can already use court orders to request Internet communication, but service providers are not required to monitor the Internet, often leaving gaps in the data available to authorities.

The legislation would require all service providers to create the technical capability to intercept every point of Internet communication. Providers say the cost of such a sweeping surveillance system might be passed onto consumers.

"We are concerned about the cost. That's always been the biggest issue," said David Elder, a vice-president at Bell and chair of a committee on the legislation for the Canadian Association of Internet Providers. "We don't want to have artificially higher rates to accommodate this lawful-access capability."

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[achtung_circus]

1. I'll believe it when I see it.

We currently have a minority government and this would spell the end of the government. There are lots of opportunities to shit disturb on this. Our Prime Minister has to go in front of the media 4 times a week, unscripted, and defend himself and his policies. Interesting that the commercial stakeholders are first on board.

Section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms prohibits "unreasonable search and seizure" and I know from personal experience that it's a tough hurdle. Even if cleared, a lot of cases get thrown out on
Section 8.

[applegrove]

2. If you have ever been a victim of a crime you end up being for all this

stuff. Cameras on every corner. Let the police surveille emails - anything in the public domain. It makes sense and it will save lives and trauma.

Plus - US law enforcement agencies get to look at the emails of anybody using American software (hello microsoft, msm, aol, apple) with the requirement that they cannot report on those warrants. All over the world. I say if your people have access to the emails & my people don't - that is incredibly stupid.

The brits have caught untold numbers of felons because of their cameras in public places. Unless you are dealing drugs over the net - why should you care. Nobody cares about you. Savings families and people from horrors is worth it. We will never notice the change. I say go ahead. Give police some real tools to deal with real terrorists and criminals. They use emails now to solve crimes..except they only get access after there has been a victim and a crime. That's just not right.

[Spazito]

4. You go for it then, sign your rights away, just don't sign mine away

while you are at it.

[applegrove]

5. I think my point was also that anyone in the USA law enforcement business

can already read whatever they want. So it really isn't as if we are loosing something we had.

Seriously - with the cameras...you don't think more of them are a good idea? Where are we driving that is so private?

[Spazito]

6. Your post went way beyond cameras in public places

In effect, you were in favour of all intrusions into your private life, e-mails, etc, and that is a VERY slippery slope, imo. Talk to Mr. & Mrs. Arar about what happens when a Canadian has no rights.

[applegrove]

8. It wasn't he emails. And he does have rights. He wasn't in the country

when they were taken away from him. He was in the USA. Now that he got freed there is an inquiry and his wife ran for parliament and did very well. She may win some day.

We are looking deeply into what happened and what our people knew or expected to happen when they passed info on to American officials.

Seems our people do a better job of correcting mis perceptions and human rights abuses than America did. So - in these days when the USA can read emails of anybody who has an intel chip or MS Dos program in their computer - all over the world - I for one would want my own country to have at least the very same information...at least in my own country.

[CHIMO]

7. Maybe

They should watch the TV and take some action against incitement!

[jim3775]

3. Kinda makes you wonder about that whole George Radwanski brouhaha...

a while back, doesn't it?