Security risks of increased digital surveillance call for a closer look

As this CBC commentary from Dan Misener describes, despite its "unfortunate name," the Conservative government's "Lawful Access" legislation is anything but boring. Indeed, this invasive set of electronic surveillance bills present grave security risks for all Canadians. It's no wonder that many people representing a diverse range of interests -- from Canadian privacy commissioners to civil liberties associations to public interest organizations -- have stepped forward to voice their concerns about the proposed jeopardy of data security and the lack of oversight in handling this data.

Lawful Access is definitely something that everyone (law-abiding Canadians included) should pay close attention to -- as the wider implications of the bills' security risks have yet to be properly debated.

Article by Dan Misener for CBC News:

"Stop spying."

That's the message from OpenMedia.ca, a Vancouver-based internet advocacy group, to government and law enforcement officials. They've set up an online petition at stopspying.ca to protest something called "lawful access legislation."

I'll admit, it's an unfortunate name. When you say "lawful access legislation" out loud, it sounds like pretty much the most boring thing ever. But it's not. I promise.

When Parliament resumes in September, the debate surrounding this controversial legislation will start to heat up, and it's well worth paying attention.

In a nutshell, lawful access has to do with how law enforcement can access your communications. That includes activities like wiretapping, and obtaining access to your email or your web surfing history. Read more >>

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Read more at cbc.ca