Ever since Sept. 11 and the subsequent erosion of civil liberties south of the border with the Patriot Act, I have been smugly proud of how Canadians have kept to the high ground during the so-called War on Terror.
But recently that has all changed. I fear the age of Big Brother is looming before us and we have to be very diligent if we are to prevent that sort of dystopian society from befalling us.
I'm talking about new legislation which the Canadian government proposes to enact this fall to give police new powers in this digital age. The proposed bill would allow police to demand that Internet service providers hand over a wide range of information on the surfing habits of individuals, including online pseudonyms, and whether someone possesses a mischief-making computer virus, according to a draft outline of the bill provided to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Police and security agencies would be able to surreptitiously track unwitting Canadians via their cell phones, BlackBerries and laptop computers, even when the devices are turned off or their location features are disabled.
Officials say the law is needed to replace outdated surveillance laws that were written before the arrival of cellphones and e-mail, but in my opinion it takes things a little too far. Critics of the law say it could be used to nab Canadians as they engage in relatively minor offences like downloading music and movies from the Internet, but I also fear the information could be used to 'profile' people. Imagine a religious-right government in power checking to see who is looking at same-sex porn, or Islamic websites.
I'm not against technology or laws that help take criminals and potential terrorists off our streets, but I am vehemently opposed to any law or technology which could be used by corrupt or zealous individuals and entities to compromise an average citizen. People with opposing views to the status quo could be targeted for what they chose to read or view on the net. And what if this ability to track people through their cellphones and laptops can be used by or falls into the wrong hands? We all know how easily technology can be compromised by those with devious and cunning minds. Is risking every Canadian's privacy worth the few criminals this new law will help catch? I don't think so.
This is something that can only be stopped with letters and calls to your local and federal leaders. Let them know what's on your mind now, voluntarily, before they are able to poke and prod your thoughts and tastes without your knowledge.
