Big Telecom's Power Grab: Weekly News Update from OpenMedia.ca

Hello!

Here's Lindsey with your update:

As big telecom company Bell gets set to take over Astral Media, we're likely to be seeing even higher prices, tighter contracts, and more disrespectful customer service. Not to mention more incentive and power for Big Telecom to push for extreme and invasive agreements like the TPP's Internet trap. Push back by staying engaged, spreading the word, and making your voice heard.

For the Internet, 

- The OpenMedia.ca Team

Recent News

EFF: Proponents of Canada's Online Spying Bill Still Trying to Justify Excessive Powers

A few weeks ago, we shared how Richard Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, had put forth an offer to help justify and tweak the Online Spying Bill (C-30) to make it more 'palatable' to the Canadian public. This proposed alliance between Toews and CSIS was met with a resounding disapproval from the pro-Internet community.

Our friends at Electronic Frontier Foundation have written about the new developments in Canada's fight against online spying. Let's tell CSIS that online spying will never be palatable to Canadians and that we're fed up with Bill C-30, join our petition and make your voice heard at http://StopSpying.ca.

Article from the EFF:

Canada’s online surveillance bill may be on hold for now, but a recent news article confirms that a rather formidable figure has been angling for its return: Richard Fadden, head of the Canadian equivalent of the FBI. Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), wrote in a letter that the highly contentious Bill C-30 was “vital” to protecting national security. The letter was sent to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, the driver behind Bill C-30, in late February. It was released to the Canadian Press in response to a request filed under the Access to Information Act. Read more »

What Canada's pro-Internet community has built (you're amazing)

Over the years, your support has allowed us to build some pretty awesome pro-Internet tools.

One of the things we like most about the Internet is the way it levels the playing field. The Internet breaks down barriers between decision-makers and everyday citizens (like you!)

Many of the online tools that you’ve helped develop—and the ones that will help us achieve amazing things in the future—take full advantage of the citizen-powered aspect of the web. Since OpenMedia.ca started, people have been using the Internet to save the Internet by putting pressure on elected leaders and policymakers, and innovative tools have made it possible.

Thanks to our donors and Allies, volunteers and interns, and those who have spread the word, more people than ever are aware of the possibilities of the open Internet. So we at OpenMedia.ca want to take a moment to thank you as we seek support for the next step in our efforts to safeguard Internet freedom, and let you know about the amazing tools you’ve helped us build already. Read more »

Slate.com: The TPP is The Most Important Trade Agreement That We Know Nothing About

What is the TPP hiding? It's long been referred to as a "trade agreement" between the countries that are negotiating, but in reality it addresses more than twenty chapters of provisions that include everything from telecommunications, financial services and government procurement.

Of particular interest to the pro-Internet community are the stipulations regarding intellectual property. Public domain could be contested, 'digital locks' would be created to combat piracy and entire webpages could be deleted.

We're now less than 300 away from 100,000 people who are against the TPP's Internet trap - help close the door on the secrecy of the TPP by adding your name to our petition and make a contribution to the campaign.

Article by David S. Levine

Imagine being invited to formally offer input on a huge piece of legislation, a proposed international agreement that could cover everything from intellectual property rights on the Internet to access to medicine to investment rights in the agreement’s signatory countries. For 10 minutes, you’d be able to say whatever you’d like about the proposed law—good, bad, or indifferent—to everyone involved in the negotiations. But there’s a caveat: All of your questions, all of your input, on what may be the most controversial part of the package, would have to be based on a version of the proposed international agreement that was 16 months old. And in that 16-month period, there were eight rounds of negotiations that could have changed any and all of the text to which you had access, but no one could tell you if that version was still accurate. Read more »

The ITU takes a (half-measured) step towards transparency

Last month, we reposted an article that reported a move by the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to take over management of the Internet. This is a worrying move that could allow certain oppressive nations to threaten the freedom and openness of the Internet.

The issue is due to be debated in December at the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and we’ve joined with the pro-Internet community to demand that these negotiations are transparent, and that civil society groups and the public are able to participate.

We recently received a response from the Secretary-General of the ITU explaining the moves the ITU is making towards increased transparency, which is a really positive step that shows that our concerns are being heard. However, the moves outlined seem to be little more than half-measures; we have a long way to go before citizens get the transparency we deserve. Read more »