News

  • CIPPIC Files Factum in Hyperlinked Defamation Suit
    - 2010-11-15 -

    CIPPIC filed its factum in Crookes v. Newton, which will decide the fate of the hyperlink in defamation law.  The case, on appeal from the B.C. Court of Appeal, has raised the issue of whether and under what circumstances posting a hyperlink to online content that contains defamatory statements can amount to publication of that content.  The plaintiff, Crookes, argues that posting a hyperlink draws the reader's attention to any defamatory statements contained in the linked article and this is sufficient to impose liability on the poster of the link.  He argues further that, by nature and convention, by posting a hyperlink the author of an article intends to incorporate the linked content into the original article.

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  • Government Once Again Attempts to Update Investigative Techniques
    - 2010-11-03 -

    The Federal Government is once again attempting to pass a legislative package purportedly aimed at 'updating' investigative techniques in light of developments in technology.  While only two of the three Bills that will make up the latest reincarnation of this package have been introduced so far, past attempts have included serious erosions of civil liberties and a steadfast refusal to make comparable 'updates' to privacy protections.  The legislative package, referred to in the past as 'Lawful Access' or 'Lawful Surveillance', has been carefully calculated to harnass the incredible surveillance powers of new technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones, as well as of the various private intermediary entities that are required for these technologies to function.

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  • Copyright Modernization Act Heading to Committee
    - 2010-11-02 -

    Parliament began debating Bill C-32, the Copyright Modernization Act, today on the floor of the House.  The Bill introduces sweeping reforms, including positive improvements such as exceptions for user generated content and format shifting as well as an expansion of the purposes for which a dealing may be 'fair' under the existing Copyright Act.  However, the Bill includes serious flaws, foremost of which are the protections it offers for digital locks.  These protections threaten to undermine all of the positive additions to the Bill and to expand the scope of Copyright protections well beyond its traditional protection for works of art.  Parliament is expected to refer the Bill to Committee for further debate sometime this week.

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  • Anti-SPAM Bill Fast Tracked Through Committee
    - 2010-11-02 -

    Bill C-28, the Fighting Internet and Wireless SPAM Act (FISA), referred to Committee a few weeks ago, is now on its way back to the House after one day in Committee.  The Bill is Canada's long awaited and comprehensive response to online hazards such as SPAM and malware.  It will put in place a multi-faceted regime that attempts to address these issues by empowering three distinct regulatory agencies (the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the CRTC, and the Competition Bureau) to investigate and fine individuals and organizations for various new regulatory offences created by the Act.  It additionally provides individuals with a personal right of action to sue others for similar violations.  FISA was first introduced last summer as Bill C-27 (ECPA), at which time it + read more

  • Take Back Your Privacy! Join the Campaign!
    - 2010-11-02 -

    The Center for Democracy and Technology has launched a campaign aimed at reclaiming individual privacy in an increasingly technical and interconnected world.  The 'Take Back Your Privacy' campaign aims to achieve its eponymous objective by empowering individuals through privacy-enhancing tips as well as by rallying support for privacy-protective legislative reforms in the U.S.

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  • CRTC Imposes Monthly Usage Caps on Canadians
    - 2010-10-29 -

    The CRTC has decided (now confirmed) to allow wholesale ISPs to apply usage based billing onto their resellers.  What this means is that the small number of incumbent Internet Service Providers will now be able to effectively impose their chosen business model on all Canadians.  It effectively means the death of the unlimited Internet service plan in Canada.  Not only is this bad for consumer choice but, as incumbents continue to adopt lower monthly bandwidth allowances, there will be serious detrimental impact for innovation and migration of services already widely available elsewhere in the world.  Streaming services, for example, develop around the premise that users will be able to consume a certain amount of bandwidth monthly, as they can i

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  • The Latest Chapter in Canada's Copyright Saga
    - 2010-10-14 -

    "From 'Radical Extremism' to 'Balanced Copyright': Canadian Copyright and the Digital Agenda" will be officially launched today at the University of Ottawa.  The book, edited by Professor Michael Geist, will explore Canada's latest set of proposed reforms to its Copyright laws.  The launch event will include a panel discussion featuring a number of today's leading copyright experts.

    • When: Thursday, October 14, at 3:30 pm
    • Where: Desmarais Building, 55 Laurier Avenue East, Room 12102
    • More Details: in English and French
    • The new book is avilable online here.
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  • SaveOurNet Coalition Calls on Political Parties to Step Up on NetNeutrality
    - 2010-10-13 -

    The SaveOurNet Coalition issued a report today entitled 'Internet Openness: Where do the Parties Stand?'.  The report describes and compares various political party positions on net neutrality and calls for peridodic compliance audits of ISP traffic management practices.

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  • Early CIPPIC Video
    - 2010-10-03 -

    In the light of the Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) asked the public to share their opinion with world leaders to influence the future of the Internet. Here is what CIPPIC had to say.

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  • Privacy Commissioner Closes the Book on CIPPIC’s 2008 Facebook Complaint
    - 2010-09-22 -

    The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has closed its file on CIPPIC’s 2008 complaint about Facebook’s privacy practices. The Office’s 2009 Report of Findings and its following letter of resolution required Facebook to make a number of changes. In a media release and Backgrounder, the Office reports that it is satisfied that the changes Facebook has implemented are “reasonable and meet the expectations set out under Canadian privacy law.

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