News

Federal parties asked about Internet issues

- 2005-12-06 -

In the run-up to the Jan.23rd 2006 federal election, CIPPIC has asked each federal party a number of questions on pressing and controversial legal and policy issues involving the internet. We will post party responses as they are received. CIPPIC News Release

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Merger of Info and Privacy Commissioners rejected

- 2005-12-02 -

Retired Supreme Court Justice Gerard LaForest has issued a detailed report rejecting the idea of a single federal Information and Privacy Commissioner, concluding that such a merger "would likely have a detrimental impact on the policy aims of the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, and PIPEDA." He also found that both regimes suffer from serious flaws and that "Government must do much more to foster a "culture of compliance" with access and privacy obligations."

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Parliament passes Do Not Call legislation

- 2005-11-30 -

Just before it was dissolved in late November 2005, Parliament passed Bill C-37, a new law giving the CRTC powers to establish a "Do No Call" list and to fine those who do not respect it. The legislation will come into force on a day to be determined by the Governor-in-Council. It has been criticized for the many exceptions it permits, including telemarketing by charities, political parties, newspapers, surveys, and businesses who have "an existing relationship" with the person called.

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Liberal Government Defeated - Copyright, Lawful Access Bills Relegated to History Books

- 2005-11-29 -

With the defeat of the Liberal government on a confidence motion, the pending business of the House - including Bill C-60, an Act to Amend the Copyright Act, and Bill C-74, the Modernization of Investigative Techniques Act, - is now history. However, the issues addressed by these bills will not go away. Intellectual property revision is now a fixture of domestic and internetional policy. Similarly, law enforcement has made it clear that it needs to address intercept capability in modern technology. Regardless of the identity of the government that will emerge from this election, that government will have to revisit both copyright and lawful access.

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CIPPIC awarded funding for privacy research

- 2005-11-25 -

CIPPIC has been awarded $50,000 by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to conduct research into the Canadian data-brokerage industry and to assess private sector compliance with data protection laws. This research is being conducted over the fall and winter of 2005/2006, with a report due in the spring.

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Privacy Commissioner declines to investigate US data-broker

- 2005-11-21 -

In a letter dated Nov.18, 2005, the Assistant Privacy Commissioner of Canada responded to CIPPIC's 2004 complaint about Abika.com, a US-based online investigative service that offers to dig up detailed personal information about individuals, including telephone records. The Assistant Commissioner determined that

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Lawful Access provisions too broad, says CIPPIC

- 2005-11-18 -

The first phase of the federal government's "lawful access" initiative was unveiled on Tuesday, in the form of Bill C-74, the Modernization of Investigative Techniques Act (MITA). The MITA would force telecom service providers, among other things, to hand over basic identifying subscriber data to the police upon request. CIPPIC opposes this move, arguing that the gathering of such data is in the nature of a search, and should be subject to the same safeguards, including judicial authorization and reasonable and probable grounds to suspect criminal activity. CIPPIC News Release PSEPC backgrounder on Bill C-74

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Government introduces legislation to facilitate police investigations in digital era

- 2005-11-15 -

The federal government today introduced Bill C-74, the "Modernization of Investigative Techniques Act" (MITA), an act to compel all telephone and Internet companies to create and maintain infrastructures that are intercept capable and to provide access to basic subscriber contact information such as a name, address or telephone number. This new legislation will require telephone and Internet companies to include interception capabilities in new technology and make subscriber contact information available on request to designated law enforcement and CSIS officials. PSEPC webpage on MITA Globe and Mail story National Post story

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Cell Phone records for sale via Internet

- 2005-11-15 -

Following on an uproar this past summer in the USA over the availability of cell phone records from online investigation services, MacLean's Magazine conducted a similar investigation in Canada. It found that cell phone records for customers of all three Canadian wireless telephone companies are easily available from US-based online services, despite the clear illegality of such disclosure in Canada. Reporter Jonathon Gatehouse illustrated the problem by obtaining the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's cell phone records. MacLeans story EPIC's webpage on phone records Bell Canada response

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CIPPIC, CDT file Spyware Complaints with Competition Bureau, FTC

- 2005-11-03 -

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) and the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) today asked the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Canadian Competition Bureau to investigate the business practices of Montreal-based software distributor Integrated Search Technologies and several of its business partners. The filing marks the first time that the Bureau has been asked to investigate a spyware company, and the first time that the FTC has been asked to investigate the practices of a Canadian spyware vendor. - Joint CIPPIC/CDT Media Release - CIPPIC's Application to the Competition Bureau and FTC - CIPPIC's affidavit in support of its Application - CDT's complaint to the FTC

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