New BCCLA report highlights widespread abuse of online spying powers internationally

Image from rpongsaj on Flickr

With its proposed online spying bills, the government is seeking to provide “authorities” with access to your personal electronic information without a warrant. That’s right folks, apparently judicial oversight, that fundamental pillar of democracy, is not needed when it comes to online surveillance. Indeed, according to Harper, we won’t be requiring any accountability measures whatsoever.

You will not have the right to know how these online spying tools are being used or if you have ever been the subject of state surveillance. These substantial powers will be wielded in secret and we are simply supposed to trust that the police, security agents and bureaucrats will not overstep their boundaries, ever. And what’s more, we are still waiting for evidence to suggest that the legal powers law enforcement agents already possess are insufficient.

What we do have is significant evidence that law enforcement agents are very likely to abuse these online spying powers. As discussed in the BC Civil Liberties Association’s comprehensive report, the US and the UK have had their own versions of the online spying bills in place for some time. There, citizens have seen a staggering number of documented violations by officials in both countries.

Telecoms in the US report receiving huge numbers of warrantless requests for data: Sprint Nextel provided law enforcement agents with its customers’ GPS location information over 8 million times in a one year period.

In the UK, innocent people have been placed under surveillance for littering, smoking, and failing to clean up after their dog. Seriously.

We are only aware of these shocking statistics on state surveillance in the UK and the US because their legislation included a requirement that this information be subject to oversight and made public. Canada’s lawful access legislation contains no such provision. The online spying powers in our country will be exercised under strict conditions of secrecy.

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