The Concerns of Canadians

"We will not be proceeding with Bill C-30, and any attempts that we will continue to have to modernize the Criminal Code will not contain the measures in C-30, including the warrantless mandatory disclosure of basic subscriber information or the requirement for telecommunication service providers to build intercept capability within their systems.
"We've listened to the concerns of Canadians who've been very clear on this and we're responding to that."
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson

So then, Bill C-30, named the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act is not destined after all, to become law.  The people have spoken. The people have protested strenuously against its implementation. The people must have their privacy. And the country's privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, was clear in her opposition to the proposed bill, along with her provincial counterparts in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, all of whom raised their own concerns of invasion of privacy.

People were appalled at the very idea that Internet and telephone companies would be compelled by law to reveal personal client information; names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, Internet protocol addresses and device identification numbers.  Law enforcement agencies would enjoy the privilege of snooping into their private business. Digital profiles would be created to track their cellphone activities.

In an information age and a social networking time when people have become fond of disclosing over the Internet on various social networking web sites all their personal information, they take huge umbrage over the possibility that law and security agents might avail themselves of information about their online activities, possibly leading to the revelations that might reveal some among them as child-sex predators.

It was introduced February 14, 2012, and has been moribund since then, and now it is dead. Police chiefs across the country did their level best to bring the Internet surveillance debate back to life after it was universally slammed by consumers and civil libertarians. A Postmedia News poll revealed 23% of Canadians were in support of handing police warrantless access to subscriber information.

But the greater majority of Canadians have spoken. The potential benefits to law enforcement and public safety through the use of access to surveillance data without warrant, have been dismissed. Which doesn't seem such a bargain, actually. On the other hand, this is a democracy and the government of this democratic country decided in their wisdom to obey the will of the people.

And so be it.