NDP Slams Invasive Online Spying Bills in Letter to Public Safety Minister

Stop Online Spying Coalition congratulates Angus and Sandhu for taking a stand against “Lawful Access” legislation

June 24, 2011 –Stop Online Spying campaign members are rallying in support of two NDP critics who wrote to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews warning him of the dangers of proposed “Lawful Access” bills.

MPs Charlie Angus and Jasbir Sandhu - the NDP Ethics, Privacy and Digital Issues Spokesman and the NDP Public Safety Critic, respectively - pointed to several key concerns which highlight the bills’ allowance of surveillance that is warrantless, invasive, and costly in their letter on Thursday.

“This letter serves to demonstrate just how problematic this online spying would be.” says OpenMedia.ca’s Executive Director Steve Anderson.

Anderson continues: “It couldn’t be more clear: the proposed surveillance bills are poorly thought out, and would harm both our democracy and our digital economy.”

The MPs’ letter to Toews comes only a day after the launch of the Stop Online Spying campaign, which is supported by nearly sixty public interest organizations, businesses, and concerned academics, as well as over 37,000 concerned citizens that have signed a petition at http://www.StopSpying.ca

The letter can be found on OpenMedia.ca’s website here: http://bit.ly/k3Sbxk

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Contact

Lindsey Pinto
Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca
778-238-7710
[email protected]

About OpenMedia.ca

OpenMedia.ca is a national, non-partisan, non-profit public engagement organization working to advance and support an open and innovative communications system in Canada. Our primary goal is to increase public awareness and informed participation in Canadian media, cultural, information, and telecommunications policy formation.

OpenMedia.ca is best-known for coordinating the Stop The Meter campaign earlier this year. The Stop The Meter campaign is widely considered the biggest online citizens' campaign in Canadian history, involving nearly half-a-million Canadians.

About the Stop Online Spying Coalition

The Stop Online Spying campaign is supported by a group of public interest organizations, businesses, and concerned academics that have come together to encourage the government to reconsider its pending "Lawful Access" legislation (Bills C-50, C-51, and C-52). The group believes the proposed legislation enables warrantless surveillance that is invasive, excessive and costly.