A Better System

What a fuss. Actually, screaming bloody murder is more like it. The new surveillance law will infringe on our privacy rights. Doubt it. It isn't geared to scrutinize and interrupt the privacy of the ordinary citizen. Unless that ordinary citizen really has something to hide. Indulging in criminal behaviour, for example.

Indulging in criminality, indeed the surveillance would impact on one's right to privacy. But doesn't one abrogate that right by criminal behaviour?

And isn't that criminal behaviour truly inimical to the good of society as a whole, and in general? The social compact holds that our core values of this society be respected and honoured by us all. Those who choose to defy the law by engaging in criminal behaviour have no reason to anticipate that their right to privacy will be respected.

The provision, according to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, "will assist authorities where they have warrants or are dealing with emergency situations. In terms of access, nothing has changed in the law. We are proposing measures to bring our laws into the 21st Century and to provide the police with the lawful tools that they need."

This is why we elect lawmakers to Parliament, is it not? This is a new world of Internet access, and a lot of the happenings on the Internet are nothing to be proud of. The exploitation of the helpless and those vulnerable to having their own human rights abused should, in the best of all possible worlds, be met with some measure of defense.

The opposition parties insist that the bill will infringe on Canadians' privacy, permitting police to build a detailed profile of people, including law-abiding citizens. Don't online marketers already do that, infringe on our privacy by building a profile of our on-line activities, and then target us, to exploit the data they have collected without our knowledge let alone our permission?

Telecom companies are able to provide personal information of customers on a voluntary basis. The new bill will simply speed up the process and make it mandatory.

Service providers will be required to install real-time surveillance equipment to assist police in accessing surveillance data. But even though police can order a telecom company to preserve data for a specified period, they must first obtain a warrant to read the actual content.

At the present time companies do turn over requested information to law enforcement agencies about 95% of the time. It's the turnaround time that takes an average of 13 days that's the sticking point.

"The point here is this can no longer be discretionary on the part of telecommunication service providers,especially when children's lives are at stake. It's clear we need a better system."

Fair enough.