[atlarge-discuss] Canadian Rights at Risk

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

Canada preps Internet snoopers charter
By John Leyden

Excerpt from:  http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/26840.html

The Canadian Government has published proposals to increase law enforcement 
powers to monitor the country's citizens online. 

A consultation document published last weekend by the Canadian Department of 
Justice contains proposals that would compel ISPs to hand over the names and 
addresses of customers to the police on request, curtailing rights to remain 
anonymous online. 

Changes in Canada's Criminal Code widen police search powers, require ISPs to 
retain customer Web logs for up to six months and (less controversially) to 
outlaw possession of computer viruses are also proposed. 

There's also a blueprint for how ISPs should make their networks wiretap 
friendly, paving the way for legislation along the lines of Britain's much 
criticised Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act or Communications 
Assistance for Law Enforcement Act in the US. Under the proposals, ISPs and 
mobile operators would be forced to shoulder the bill of having black box 
interception equipment installed on their networks. 

Ostensibly the changes bring Canada's laws into line with provisions adopted 
by The Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime, which (due to Canada's 
status as a permanent observer) it feels obliged to adopt. Critics doubt the 
necessity of this or whether it would bring any benefits in fighting crime. 

On the face of it the proposals look like the standard law enforcement 
Internet powers wish list, which is been re-packaged throughout the Western 
world as a way of fighting terrorism post-September 11. 

Comments on the Canadian DoJ's Lawful Access consultation document can be 
sent 
to la-al@justice.gc.ca by November 15. Laws based on the proposals are 
expected to follow by early next year, so now might be the best time to put 
in your two cents worth. 

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