C-51: Crowdsourced report aims to stop Canada’s slide into ‘surveillance society’

Canada at a ‘tipping point,’ privacy advocates warn

By Kady O’Malley, CBC | Posted: May 20, 2015

With the [Canadian] government’s controversial proposed anti-terror law set to be passed into law within weeks, some of Bill C-51’s most outspoken critics are supporting a “pro-privacy action plan” that calls for an end to warrant-less and mass surveillance and more independent oversight.

According to OpenMedia communications manager David Christopher, what he describes as “Canada’s growing privacy deficit” has “alarming consequences for democracy.”

“We’re at a tipping point where we need to decide whether to continue evolving into a surveillance society, or whether to rein in the government’s spying apparatus,” he notes in the release accompanying the report.

“This report outlines common sense steps to strengthen privacy safeguards for all of us.”

• Read full article on CBC.ca
• Canada’s Privacy Plan – OpenMedia report

More on CBC.ca:

• Spy agencies target mobile phones, app stores to implant spyware
• Bill C-51 passes in House of Commons
• C-51 anti-terrorism bill ‘excessive,’ Privacy Commissioner says
• Bill C-51: Privacy watchdog Daniel Therrien blocked from committee witness list