Climate of Surveillance Causes Privacy Concerns

8:00 am on July 12, 2006 | Category: Editorials, Internet, Law, Regulation, Telecom Services, Web Services

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The past few weeks have seen growing unrest among Canadian privacy advocates, ever since Bell Sympatico updated its terms of service with a strongly worded new clause on internet surveillance.

Bell told its customers on June 15 that it “reserves the right from time to time to monitor the Service electronically, monitor or investigate content or the use of the Service Provider’s networks.” The statement went on to say that Canada’s largest ISP would “disclose any information necessary to satisfy any laws, regulations or other government request.”

This has revived fears about the growing climate of Orwellian surveillance in post-9/11 North America. Privacy advocates are especially concerned that Stephen Harper’s government will condone and encourage the invasion of privacy by reviving the Modernization of Investigative Techniques Bill, which died with the Liberal government earlier this year.

Perhaps most scary of all is the fact that governments seem more than happy to let ISPs use highly intrusive technologies to spy on customers, without even obtaining a warrant. This jeopardizes the internet’s status as a free and unregulated medium, while clearly violating Section Eight of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Government authorities both north and south of the 49th Parallel seem quick to forget that it is their responsibility to prevent such blatant abuses of technology, not encourage them.

Before being elected, the Conservative Party of Canada promised to enhance the system of checks and balances by increasing funding to the Auditor General to ensure that policies affecting the people are handled in a fair and effective manner.

In the months to come it will be up to all Canadians to make sure the government works to make good on these promises, rather than following in the footsteps of the United States, and compromising the very rights and freedoms that our society is built upon.

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    1. Perhaps the monitoring of the internet is such a negative thing and a little regulation might not be a bad idea. The internet is the medium these days for organized crime, etc. After all, the police need access to link terrorist and pornographic sites that prey on people( I think that was the intent of the ISP’s statement about cooperation with laws and authorities). Quoting Section 8 is a general catch-all for “I want what I want” in the Charter. However, there is overriding legislation in the Charter (Section 7 and 15) that allows for “the public good” over individual self-interest. I don’t really think anybody in government gives a rip about the average Joe’s e-mail. Even the press is subject to some regulations. We should be trying to find a balance between privacy and access –not easy!
      Regards, Janet

      Comment by Janet — July 12, 2006 #

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    Edited by Jeremy Maddock