Twittersphere Fights Back on Internet Privacy Bill
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has seen serious backlash on Twitter this week in response to Bill C-30, which would allow police to obtain IP addresses without a warrant.
The wide world of the Interweb, and particularly the Twittersphere, is in a tizzy this week over Ottawa’s latest crime bill targeting Internet privacy.
The hubbub revolves around Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ Bill C-30, titled the Protecting Children From Internet Predators Act. The gist is that under the bill, police could access any Canadian’s Internet Protocol (IP) address without a warrant under the guise of fighting web predators targeting children.
One of the major concerns is the police will abuse their powers to access private details about our online lives. Opponents have responded, dubbing the act the “Licence to Snoop Law.” Thousands of Twitter users also lashed out specifically against Toews, using the hashtag #TellVicEverything. Canadians tweeted Toews inane personal details as critics believe this is the information the bill would allow police to access.
The hashtag was the most-tweeted topic Thursday, with jabs at Toews such as: “Thanks to @ToewsVic I don’t need to file taxes this year. He already has all my information,” from Tiwtter user @applenag (Tom Sheppard).
As opposition mounts, I foresee Ottawa backing down from the bill just as Congress gave up on SOPA after very successful (and similar) web protests.
Internet users here and across the border seem to be sending a strong message to their governments – keep your hands off our Internet.
Save over 50% off the newsstand price with a subscription to BCBusiness Magazine
