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To call this a "public" consultation would be stretching it: the document was only passed around a limited number of stakeholders, and the government initially refused to allow it to be posted online. Its existence was not published in the Canada Gazette as is normally the case, and interested parties were only given until September 27 to make their comments. Within it, the departments hint that law enforcement should have access to personal information without a court order or other judicial checks.
The good news is that Public Safety Canada has now had an apparent change of heart - about the consultation, at least. The document has now been placed online, and the deadline for public comment extended by three weeks to October 12.
If you would like to make your voice heard, just follow the instructions provided by Public Safety, and let them know exactly how you feel.
]]>We wondered why should people have to pay for uncopyrighted -- even *uncopyrightable* -- data about who belongs in which electoral riding. That information has enormous value to the public, which could use tools built by non-governmental organizations to easily contact their MPs about important issues.
Apparently, Quebec blogger danieljohn felt the same way, and he has posted the whole database online. We hope that Stats Canada will take his cue and post their own copy of the data for everyone to use.
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With the fall of the 38th Parliament, Bill C-60, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act, died on the order table. However, the election has not sidelined the copyright debate – far from it. Copyright policy – and its unfortunate ties to campaign financing – has become a hot election issue. OnlineRights.ca has launched a petition calling on politicians to swear off Big Content's lobbying money, and we've also posted some background on the story and some offline ways for you to get involved. 
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"With the Canadian government preparing for a January election, all of last year's legislation is back on the drawing board. Canadians now have another chance to present a public interest perspective on issues like copyright reform and increased government surveillance,” said Ren Bucholz, EFF's Policy Coordinator, Americas. “We are happy to be launching ORC at such a critical time."
One of ORC's first actions is a petition drive against unwarranted surveillance law. A bill proposed in Parliament last month would have allowed law enforcement agencies to obtain personal information without a warrant and forced communications providers to build surveillance backdoors into the hardware that routes phone calls and Internet traffic. The petition asks Canadian lawmakers to protect citizens' privacy rights when the new government convenes in 2006. Other important issues for ORC will include copyright law, access to information, and freedom from censorship.
"Today, ORC focuses on digital copyright and lawful access. But there is no reason to restrict the site to those two issues," said CIPPIC Staff Counsel David Fewer. "Our hope is that ORC will evolve into the first place to go for Canadians looking for opportunities to protect their online rights. Anyone can be an activist - Online Rights Canada will give you the tools you need."
Online Rights Canada is the latest group to join the global fight for digital rights. Digital Rights Ireland launched earlier this week, and the Open Rights Group launched in the United Kingdom last month.
Contact:
Ren Bucholz
Policy Coordinator, Americas
Electronic Frontier Foundation
ren@eff.org
+1 416 628-0777
Philippa Lawson
Executive Director]]>
Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
plawson@uottawa.ca
+1 613 562-5800 X 2556
Bill C-74, the Modernization of Investigative Techniques Act, would have allowed law enforcement agencies to obtain identifying information about you without a warrant. Even worse, it would have forced communications providers to build surveillance back-doors into the hardware that routes our phone calls, Internet traffic, and more. Tell the new Parliament not to erode your privacy - sign our petition today!
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