BC Forum to Stop Online Spying Proposals

This Wednesday, July 27th, the Forum to Stop Online Spying will be held at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. The forum will examine issues arising from proposed cyber surveillance legislation that threatens to undermine online privacy in serious ways. The forum will be hosted by the SFU School of Communication, with support from OpenMedia.ca, the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, and the BC Civil Liberties Association.

The cyber surveillance legislation, deceptively dubbed 'lawful access', set to be rammed through Parliament this fall as part of an omnibus crime bill, and with minimal debate, aims to turn Internet intermediaries such as ISPs, social networking sites, mobile phone providers, search engines, etc., into tools for police to better spy on Canadian citizens, often where there is little or no reason to suspect they have done anything wrong. Worse, the legislation relies on woefully inadequate oversight mechanisms to ensure these sweeping powers are not abused.

If you are in Vancouver, register today to attend the forum. If you wish to express your concern regarding this erosion of online privacy, join the thousands who have already signed the Stop Online Spying petition!

Forum details:

Wednesday, July 27, 2011, 1:30-5:30 pm

Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue,

SFU Vancouver, 580 West Hastings Street