Pro-Privacy MPs: Weekly Update from OpenMedia.ca

Hello!

Here's Lindsey with your update:

Thanks to people like you who have taken a stand, we have a great update for you—this week, we've announced which MPs are with us in the fight against online spying. Over 50% of opposition MPs, or 77 out of 144 opposition MPs, are on-side! You can see who has signed up as a "Pro-Privacy MP" here. These are MPs who are committed to ensuring that online spying bill C-30 respects Canadians' privacy, security, and personal budgets. And because they are bolstered by the hundreds of thousands of Canadian voices speaking out, we know that the pro-Internet community is bound to defeat warrantless online spying bill C-30.

Onward, 

- The OpenMedia.ca Team

Recent News

Internet Access Jeopardized by Funding Cuts

The digital divide is alive and well in Canada, and government cuts are making it even wider. All Canadians deserve open and affordable access to the Internet in the 21st century, but rural and disadvantaged communities don't enjoy the same access to highspeed Internet services that many of us in big cities take for granted.

Last month, the government cut funding for longstanding Community Access Programs (CAP) that provide Internet access to the public at libraries and community centres across Canada. Over half of low income Canadians do not have Internet access at home, and they rely on these programs to learn computing skills, look for jobs, and keep in touch with family. Read more »

GigaOM: UN wants to take over management of the Internet

We’ve been fighting successfully with the pro-Internet community to keep the Internet free of government control, but a new challenge is lurking on the horizon; the UN’s International Telecommunications Union thinks that it should be in charge of managing the Internet. U.S. Representatives have expressed concern with this latest attempt to assert control over the Internet, but will their opposition be enough?

By Mathew Ingram for GigaOM

Even as Internet-control bills like SOPA and PIPA were making their way through the Senate and House of Representatives earlier this year (only to be short-circuited by public opinion), there was another potential firestorm brewing just beneath the surface — one that is expected to erupt in a matter of months in Dubai. That’s because the International Telecommunications Union, an arm of the United Nations, wants very much to take over management of the Internet, a plan that will be debated by member nations in Dubai. On Thursday, a bipartisan group of U.S. congressional officials said they will resist this attempt with everything they have. But will it be enough? Read more »

Letter to Supporters: Who's on your side?

Thanks to you, over sixty MPs have said they will stand with Canadians against Vic Toews’ online spying plan. Find out which through the Pro-Privacy MP tool we created for you at http://openmedia.ca/WithCanada.

By sharing the video at http://openmedia.ca/stand and taking action, you raised a loud national call for every MP to stand with Canada against costly and invasive online spying. Thanks to you and the rest of the pro-Internet community, the video went viral and got national news coverage from CBC,1 among others.

The response so far has exceeded our expectations: Over sixty MPs have signed up as Pro-Privacy politicians. You can see exactly which MPs are on your side, and which are not, using our new pro-privacy MP display tool here: http://openmedia.ca/WithCanada

Vic Toews, far from backing down, is pushing for a renewed multi-faceted scheme to erode Canadians’ online privacy rights: Toews has been working on a deal with the U.S. known as “Perimeter Security”, which could lead to the U.S. government having access to your private data.2 Additionally, the Federal Budget for this year includes a plan to cut funding to the watchdog responsible for overseeing Canada's spy agency, CSIS.3 Read more »

Media Advisory: OpenMedia.ca Releases Names of MPs Standing With Canadians Against Warrantless Online Spying

Citizen Outcry Against Bill C-30 Pushes Over Sixty MPs to Add Their Names to OpenMedia.ca Pro-Privacy Listing

WHO:

Steve Anderson, Executive Director, OpenMedia.ca

Lindsey Pinto, Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca

WHAT:

OpenMedia.ca has just released a tool that displays the names of the over sixty Members of Parliament—nearly two-thirds of opposition party members—who have signed up as Pro-Privacy MPs, and taken a stand against warrantless online spying legislation in Canada (Bill C-30). By adding their names, these politicians have publicly committed to work "with Canadians to ensure that any Lawful Access legislation respects our privacy, security, and personal budgets.” Read more »

Privacy Commissioner's Annual Report Slams Lawful Access

Dr. Ann Cavoukian's annual report declares that privacy activists must be "ever vigilant" in staying on top of legislation that threatens privacy. Cavoukian asserts that online spying legislation is creating a system of "Surveillance by design", and represents “one of the most invasive threats to our privacy and freedom that I have ever encountered in my 25 years”. Take a stand against online spying.

From ITbusiness.ca

A record number of complaints and freedom of information requests were made to the office of Ontario's privacy commissioner last year, according to the commissioner's annual report released today.

The 277 privacy complaints closed in 2011 set a new record, commissioner Ann Cavoukian said in her report. And a total of 45,159 freedom of information requests were made in the province in 2011, up 16 per cent from 2010 and another new record. Read more »

We prepare to reveal which MPs stand with Canadians

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is still not backing down when it comes to his warrantless online spying scheme. While Canadians call on our MPs to stand against the invasive and costly legislation, Bill C-30, Toews has been toiling away to try to scare us into believing the bill is necessary. He's gone so far, as one commenter put it, to use "tragedy as a tool for his draconian legislation."

Luckily Canadians are too well-informed to fall for Toews' PR—especially thanks to the past and recent national news coverage that your outcry has gotten for the campaign. We know that this legislation doesn't target criminals; it instead creates a giant, insecure, and expensive data registry that records the private information of any Canadian, at any time, without a warrant. Read more »

Globe and Mail: Competition Breaks Up Big Telecom Monopoly in Canada’s North

People in rural areas in Canada sometimes face some of the worst telecom service in the world. But as this article illustrates we’re beginning to break the stranglehold of big telecom in these areas too. The CRTC decided in December to open up Canada’s North to telecom competition, meaning that NorthwesTel is no longer the only option for the majority of rural residents. As new companies enter the market, this competition will encourage improved access, including 3G and 4G data services, expanded wireless coverage, and lower prices.

Everyone deserves to have open and affordable access to the Internet. Thanks to all of you in the pro-Internet community for helping make this a reality. Join the fight to stop the squeeze »

By Rita Trichur for Globe and Mail:

Iristel Inc., one of this country’s largest voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service providers, is gearing up for some northern exposure. Read more »