July 11, 2006
Bell's move to monitor us an ominous portent
From The Vancouver Sun on Canada.comBell's move to monitor us an ominous portent
Fears of corporate information fishing arise as Internet providers take steps to monitor users' online activity
Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, July 10, 2006
We should be concerned about the erosion of our civil liberties in the post-9/11 world and the very real Big Brother-style monitoring of our Internet activities.
The Canadian Bar Association has long argued lawmakers went too far in the wake of the World Trade Centre strikes and did not build in enough checks when they gave law-enforcement agencies greater powers ostensibly to combat terrorism.
Still, when Canada's largest Internet service provider, Bell Sympatico, amends its service agreement with customers to create an environment of institutionalized cyberspying on behalf of the government, we're entering a whole other realm.
Bell three weeks ago told its customers it's reserving the right to monitor, collect and on request provide to police a list of every site you visit and every keystroke you type while connected.
Other ISPs have or are expected to follow suit.
Please read the rest. It will only take you a few minutes.
About
I am a communication designer in Vancouver, BC. Most of my writing and community activism are in the interconnected issues of public transit, local eating and food security, politics, health, environment, and sustainability in general. At heart, I'm a geek and a total treehugger. Nature, tea, good food and great company make me happy.
Currently reading:
"Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life"
Brian Brett
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