Wednesday, 28 March 2012

Canadian Government V.S. Internet Rights

Hello again and welcome back to natural opinion. Like always I am here today to express my stead fast opinions on issues and topics that I find either interesting or relevant during the course of any day. This day however I am going to dig out the big guns in order to talk to you all about Internet Private policy and what the Canadian political boxing ring is doing to once again attempt to squander it.

Following on the coat tails of the internet censorship campignes that spread like wild fire through national and international politics bringing outcry from people in every nation Canadian Liberal Political party introduced a bill proposition to once again alter the state of internet flux for all Canadians, using the voice of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.

The bill proposed was Bill C-30 'Lawful Access Legislation'  And for those of you hiding under the political rock who do not know what this bill means to you, the bill will force ISP's (Internet Service Providers) to store and make information on the internet activity of their consumers readily avaible to the Government and Police forces. Supposedly the police forces will require a warrent to access that information, yet, the bill will also permit "them" to obtain IP address (This is the number that identifies the COMPUTER not PERSON using that internet connection.), Email Addresses, mobile phone numbers and other information with out the use of a court ordered

So why would the government need a "surveillance by design*" bill?

"As technology Evolves, many criminal activities, such as the distribution of child pornography become much easier," (Toews) told the house.**

Naturally people where cautious to approach this bill; as it indeed imposes on our rights to privacy, and indeed when called out on such a fact, Toews responded with the following.


 Needless to say, this is what lit the fire under the keyboards of many forum goers spurring debates, meme's even the notorious accounts attacking the bill on social media outlet Twitter, the most well known being... The VikiLeaks30  account attack against Mr Toews which flooded the account with tweets dealing with his personal divorce case. Not to mention the #tellviceverything Hash tag frenzy that spammed Mr. Toews with mudane user information.

Despite the Public outcry Mr. Toews and his party stand firm with the C-30 Bill. Mr. Toews expressed a disgust at the gutter politics being implimented by the people behined the VikiLeaks30 twitter account and refuses to "sink to that level"

This whole issue has even spurred the action of a loose collective of hackers known only as Anonymous in to action speaking out against this bill and even 'threatening Mr. Toews Via Youtube videos where the posters wear Guy Fox Masks made popular by the Hollywood film V of vendetta. 

One such threat is presented here left.


In a recent article Released by CBC News reported Mr. Toews' responce to these videos.

:''This online group called anonymous that posted the videos hides behind masks and their claime to anonymity, and it is their threats that clearly attempt to intimidate me, and in face all parliamentarians, as we carry out our democratically elected responsibilities,'' Toews said. 
.... The RCMP continues to investigate threats against him, and that those threats go beyond the youtube videos, though he preferred not to elaborate on them. 
''I think all Canadians should be concerned by these types of threats posed to our democracy by these online bullies and thugs who  in fact are intimidating the democratic process.'':

One can only wonder if Mr Toews understands that these online bullies are in fact people of this nation who are entitled to their rights of protest. Entitled to have their voices heard. Which indeed follows through the freedom of speech, which in the same article they continue to report....

:He Said that he views freedom of speech as precious and that he protects it, but that the videos ''crossed the line'' 
''I do not believe that members of parliament should be held hostage, afraid to do what they feel is right for fear that unnamed thugs might threaten them,'' He told the committee ''Canadians deserve better'':

Anon supporters protest rally
Is it not fair to say that Mr. Toews is indeed attempting to bully the Canadian people with well woven words in to cow toeing in to line and letting people simply have their rights ripped from them? I happen to agree with this hacker group, openly and will continue to do so. 

The very idea that Mr. Toews believes that it is right to impose the idea that Canadian people should have no secrets or privacy on the internet or elsewhere, yet believes he should not have to have a taste of his own medication is ridiculous.

Of course the fact that there is mention of "Other threats outside the Videos" goes to suggest that bodily harm has been threatened towards Mr. Toews and this i am not okay with. Lets leave the boxing to the professionals, as the information war is more then effective.

Making a martyr out of Mr. Toews will only inflame the government to crack down on this bill, and to be fair the government body of Canada has placed the bill on hold until it can be amended and reshaped to make it more appropriate. We shall have to see what comes from it.

I happen to oppose this bill. It won't stop the predators, in fact it will only serve to put the averaged Joe (or Jane) in prison for nothing more then having someone access they're wireless internet to look at and/or distribute child pornography or other criminal offenses that plague the internet and world at large.

Though this is just my Natural Opinion when my freedoms and rights are being squandered by Hippocratic Governments or Dictators.

*phrase coined by Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s privacy watchdog
** Tories on E-snooping: 'Stand with us or the child pornographers' John Ibbitson the globe and mail. 
***Anonymous videos a threat to democracy, Vic Toews Says. Laura Payton and Meagan Fitzpatrick CBC News.