Online surveillance bill goes too far: Calgary professor
Calgary police Deputy Chief argues bill is needed
CBC News
Posted: Feb 14, 2012 5:45 PM MT
Last Updated: Feb 14, 2012 6:17 PM MT
A Calgary internet security expert says Ottawa's new online surveillance bill violates the privacy of many to catch a few.
The bill gives police and intelligence agencies new powers to access people's electronic communications without a warrant.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says it's needed to fight child pornography and luring on the internet, among other things.
'We’ve been really challenged with criminals committing old crimes with new technology' — Calgary police Deputy Chief Murray Stooke
Tom Keenan who teaches at the University of Calgary said the bill is based on a culture of suspicion, and doesn’t give police enough credit.
“I think our police have a lot of tools and they know how to use them. This bill takes it completely out of balance putting the onus on everybody, that all of our surfing history should be preserved and that’s just not a good thing.”
Keenan says the threshold in this bill is based on reason to suspect — a threshold he worries can be very low.
Calgary police Deputy Chief Murray Stooke, however, said the system is not working as it is.
“We’ve been really challenged with criminals committing old crimes with new technology and we’re really handicapped in our ability to get into these new technologies,” said Stooke.
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