Freddie P.
February 17, 2012 / 18:24

If anyone thinks the internet won't be tightened over the next few years to protect the vulnerable they're dreamin'. It's an ugly inevitability.

The internet is evolution, and part of its evolution, unfortunately, will be unpopular but warranted controls.

The question will always be, how far do we go? But it's like seatbelts, smoking laws and cell phones in cars - it's intended for the good of all.

At least in Canada, our government (all parties) tells us what they "want" to do. It's not done without our knowledge.

From now until forever, every government on earth will be faced with this dilemma, and it will take leaders with balls to act on it.

But if you hate Conservatives, why bother with logic if it gets in the way of another attack - and what exactly does Toews private life have to do with this "proposed" bill?

Rob
February 17, 2012 / 19:59

Freddie...I will share a post from another website that sums it up better than I could:

"Sometimes passionate ideology turns good intentions into bad and unacceptable legislation. An argument can be made, in the name of public safety, to "open" society entirely to the whims of law enforcement and criminal pursuit. ("Have you got something to hide?") However, of course, courts hold their protective role (ie. issuance of warrants) for a fundamental constitutional reason, and that reason adheres to the legal tenets of presumed innocence and personal privacy. We already have the policing and judicial structure to address unlawful activity (ie. child pornography). This Bill generously accommodates electronic surveillance and monitoring for the purpose of formulating "suspicion" of illegal conduct, and that marks its critical flaw. The Conservatives are mistaken here, and have allowed their ideology to impede their better judgment once more (ie. last week's policy revelation of the usage of information gleaned from torturous activity)."

So do you understand the problem? It is not a issue of protecting the internet but violating are rights as citizens. The Conservatives are changings laws that take away a fundamental value of requiring law inforements to have evidence before your privacy is violated. That was their logic in scrapping the gun registory. Yet here we are and they making the internet version of the gun resigtory which will cost tax payers more money while violating prinpals in our Charter.

What bothers me the most is the Conservative's making those that oppose this bill out be pedofile protectors. A cheap misrepresentation of their bill to minimize the opposition.

It is also humour days after this heated oppotions the government comes out with intentions of cutting Pariliament spending and closing a lope hole for gay marriage. This government is blatantly manipulating its citizens.

For years I heard Americans talks about Canada with envy. Within one year our country is looking more and more like our neighbours below. How long before there is in act where police can detain citizens indefitnatly in the name of "protecting us from terrorists"?

We have basic rules in place to keep this from happening. So that no government Liberal or Conservative can violate basic human rights. Twice now the Conservatives have broken down the wall where police need "reasonable grounds" to violate our privacy.

Sammi
February 17, 2012 / 21:20

Fred...It is amazing how you twist everything connected to Harper as being right. This is so wrong on so many levels.

Rob said it perfectly.

To use Vic Toews logic....let's tag everyone because amongst them are criminals. How you see this as being something good is beyond me. To answer your last question in your Harper-loving-response....Vic Toews wants to violate our privacy...let's violate his. He has nothing to hide...right??

Rob
February 17, 2012 / 21:44

Agree wholeheartedly with Rob on this, plus he's got an awesome name and is probably as handsome as I am.

Kidding aside, this sort of idea scares the crap out of me for a number of reasons. One being that with this sort of legislation there's no burden of proof required. How far off would we be then from random searches on the street?

Understand that there are bad people on the Internet, after all, there are entire sites devoted to the Habs, but let's not lump everyone into that category. Go after the bad guys but leave us law abiding citizens alone.

Ajax Mike
February 17, 2012 / 22:32

And I thought Conservatism was all about keeping the government out of out privacy.

Becca
February 18, 2012 / 02:20

Parents are responsible to protect their children from internet predators.

McNulty
February 18, 2012 / 08:33

Harper got rid of the long gun registry because it invaded the rights of innocent people.

How is this different?

What was done to Vic was wrong and I don't support it but I don't think this proposal is a good idea.

Freddie P.
February 18, 2012 / 10:43

@Rob
Nice essay, but the bottom line remains - do you really think the internet will go untouched indefinately?

Dress it up any way you want, but the Conservatives are simply stepping into an area that many governments will have to eventually, but are afraid to now.

The funniest part of this is the hysteria that suggests the Conservatives have a hidden agenda to pry into our private lives.

Do you really think they "want" to go there?

I hate what could happen, but we'd be naive to think it won't - by any government, Con, Lib or NDP.

It's called governing, and sometimes its like tough love.

Sammi
February 18, 2012 / 11:50

Fred...then why did they scrap the gun registry??? One reason they gave was that it infringed on the privacy of law abiding people. How is this different??? Don't be so blind, Fred. Harper is not always right.

Rob
February 18, 2012 / 12:07

There will always be ways and needs to improve security from the internet and utilize it better to capture criminals that hide behind their computer.
However, the current state of this legislation has that fundamental flaw of treating everyone like a criminal and giving police far too much power. Given the Conservatives used this logic to dismantle the gun registry I imagine there is reason to suspect other motivations behind this bill.

The fundamental flaw in this legislation remains the same. It treats everyone like a criminal the blurs that great concept that law enforcement require some evidence before they invade a person's right to privacy.

The argument here is not that IF the internet should be protected, it is if this is the right legislation to do it.

Freddie P.
February 18, 2012 / 15:15

@Rob - I'll give you that.
@Sammi - give us an idea of how you see the future of the internet and how it will be handled.

elvis
February 18, 2012 / 17:19

@Freddie P. and @Rob - they also scraped the long-form census in the name of privacy. It seems as though this is something not very well thought up.

Additionally, I found it interesting Freddie P. jumped on Toronto Mike for hating the Conservatives. Mike didn't mention or bash the party in his post. I'm confident Mike would have posted his objection to this bill regardless of which party cobbled it together.

Irvine
February 19, 2012 / 12:44

Hacking group Anonymous has started "Operation White North" against Vic Toews.

"We demand that you scrap the bill entirely and that you step down as safety minister. We told you to expect us. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. We are here.

Jihad. #4chan/b. Let it roll

Sammi
February 19, 2012 / 12:48

Freddie...why don't you tell us where you stand on the gun registry and whether we should all have ankle bracelets that can monitor our every move, because there are criminals among us you know and everyone should be monitored....right? Then I will tell you how the internet should be handled.

Irvine
February 19, 2012 / 13:20

The Anonymous threat against Vic Toews.

Irvine
February 19, 2012 / 14:39

Hello, Mr. Toews.

We are Anonymous.

We warned you not to force your abhorrent spying legislation onto the Canadian people.

You did not heed our warnings.

Now you will be exposed for the hypocrite that you are: A man who believes registering a lethal weapon is an unfair invasion of privacy, but demands that the public's information be logged for use by the authorities. A man who declares marriage and the family to be sacred institutions, but commits adultery and impregnates his mistress, and then abandons his own child. A man who demands his country spy on the Canadian people's private activities, but demands a parliamentary investigation when fully accessible public records about his own personal life are exposed.

Mr. Toews, you are now literally a joke in the eyes of the internet, the Canadian public, and the world.

You will cease your efforts to defy the will of your own citizens immediately. If you do not, rest assured that public outrage and protests will only grow, and you will soon find yourself not only mocked, but jobless and despised.

A man as deceitful as yourself is bound to have many skeletons in his closet. Some of these have already been brought to light, and we have no doubt that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Rest assured, Anonymous will not allow a politician who allows his citizens no secrets to have any secrets of his own.

Let this be a warning to any politician who attempts to censor, control, or hamper public use of the internet in Canada, or anywhere else on this planet.

Your actions will not stand. You cannot run. You cannot hide. For every one of us you arrest or imprison, a dozen more will emerge to take their place. You have underestimated the power of the internet in the hands of the people. Tyrants have once again created the weapons of their own destruction. You will pry the internet, our most valued and precious weapon against oppression, from our cold dead hands.

In closing, you may champion firearms and despise the freedom of information, but beneath this mask is more than flesh.

Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Toews, and ideas are bulletproof.

We are Anonymous.

We are Legion.

We do not forgive.

We do not forget.

Expect us