B.C. experts ring the alarm on Bill C-51 as it is set to get voted

 We ain't giving up this fight, and we are going to keep it up all the way through to the October election if that's what it takes. You have only a few more hours to tell your MP to vote against reckless, dangerous an ineffective Bill C-51. Speak out: https://stopc51.ca/?src=blg Article by Stefania Steccia for Vancouver 24hs B.C. experts say the impact of the federal anti-terrorism bill spells a significant loss of privacy rights for everyone, and it’s getting voted on this week before heading to the Senate for final approval.

David Christopher, Vancouver-based OpenMedia privacy campaigner, said although MPs are being inundated with letters, phone calls, emails and tweets against Bill C-51, it will likely pass Wednesday in the House of Commons.

Christopher said opinion polls show about 56% of Canadians oppose the bill with only 33% in favour, and more than 205,000 people have signed the stopC51.ca petition — denoting it as one of the largest campaigns in Canadian history.

When it passes, one of its changes will mean any information a person shares with the government — from updating a driver’s licence to housing information – won’t stay with that one branch of government, but can be shared across 17 federal agencies and even foreign authorities.

“It basically overturns public sector privacy protections,” he said. “When you see this kind of information disclosure, it has a harmful impact on people’s lives.”

Christopher said top privacy and security experts have been ringing the alarm over the bill as bulldozing over basic rights, which has been pushed through for quick approval.

Once it’s passed, one of the only actions Christopher said they can take is bringing it up as a federal election issue this fall.

- Read more at Vancouver 24hs