Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart has sent an open letter to Canadian Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews to outline her deep concerns about “lawful access” legislation that is expected soon from the Harper government.
“Lawful access” refers to the legal authority of police and security officials to monitor, intercept, seize, and search our Internet and telecommunications messages.
If the government introduces the same type of lawful access legislation that failed to make it through the House during the last Parliamentary session, it will vastly increase police surveillance of Canadians’ Internet and telecom
communications.
News coverage and Canada.com and CBC
Stop Online Spying
Since 2001, privacy watchdog groups, including FIPA, have squared off against
similar legislation introduced unsuccessfully by both Liberal and Conservative
governments.
The current campaign against lawful access is called the Stop Online Spying campaign.