The Irony Of Those Freedom And Privacy Lovin’ Harpercon Cheerleaders

Over at Queer Thoughts, Ricky Barnes points out yet another hypocrisy of Stevie Spiteful and the Harpercons, thus proving once again, that scrapping the long form census has nothing to do with privacy concerns and everything to do with pushing their ideology.  And no, he’s not talking about Bill C-42. No, something just as insidious and Orwellian, or even worse, possibly.  Rob Nicholson intends to reintroduce a few bills that failed, regarding the  internet.  In short, these bills involve allowing any branch of police to read anyone ‘s email or monitor your internet traffic, by forcing ISP companies to keep all data from their clients around.  Naturally, the police would be able to go through anyone’s online activities without a warrant.  Some highlights from these two bills:

The Investigative Power for the 21st Century Act would:

• Allow police to identify all network nodes and jurisdictions involved in data transmission and trace the communications back to a suspect.
• Force ISPs to keep data temporarily so that it isn’t lost or deleted before law enforcement agencies return with a search warrant or production order to obtain it.
• Make it illegal to possess a computer virus for the purpose of committing a criminal offence.
• Enhance international co-operation to help Canadian authorities investigate alleged crime that goes beyond its borders.

Its partner, the Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act, would:

• Force ISPs to install interception systems in their networks, making it easier for law enforcement or national security agencies to intercept information.
• Provide police with “timely access” to personal information about subscribers, including names, address and internet addresses, without the need for a warrant.

Ostensibly, it is an attempt to stop child porn and identity theft, but  there is obviously, concern.

“The mandated disclosure of personal information” by ISPs is a major concern, said Michael Geist, a law professor who holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.

“That type of approach is open to abuse, and I don’t think it strikes the right balance,” Geist told CBC News. “There is a significant price to be paid, and sadly, scant evidence that a) we’ve got a problem, and b) that this is going to do very much about it.”

“If you were serious about dealing with cyber crime … it’s not new legislation that’s needed. It‘s the resources for law enforcement that’s needed.”

Something don’t smell quite right here.

Mr. Geist’s comments convince me even more that these bills have nothing to with protecting society and everything to do with being more the totalitarian that Stevie is.   The thing is, is if both these insidious bills pass, it won’t help catch any more rogue police or employees from ISP companies accessing this info from abusing it to their heart’s content. May even make it easier for them.

Something tells me there is going to be little more apprehending of pedophiles,  child pornographers and  Identity thieves with these bills than there would be of  the feverish pursuit of those expressing dissent and disagreement with the Harpercons, their ideology and their “govenance”. Yes, just like what we saw at the G20 last summer, I believe this will be an extension of criminalizing dissent.

Oh Frmgrl, sweetie, what was that you were whining about yesterday about your  “freedoms being stripped at every turn” and only the far right can save the day??

And connies, how are these bills a good thing and the long form census too intrusive?

Indeed, as one commented at the board of that CBC story said, now they’ll need bigger prisons to fill with unreported cyber crime.