Canada's bull-moose civil libertarian on Canada's new domestic spying law

On the always-excellent Search Engine podcast from TVOntario, host Jesse Brown interviews Alan Borovoy, general counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Borovoy in one of Canada's most respected free speech and privacy activists, and he describes the state of Canada on the eve of the introduction of a sweeping spy-bill that will require ISPs to log and retain enormous amounts of our private communications, and then give police access to that material without a warrant. This is a stirring call-to-arms and an important historical context to understand the history of free speech and privacy in Canada.

Audio Podcast #124: Alan Borovoy | Search Engine (MP3)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: Audio • canada • censorship • free speech • lawful access • podcast • privacy • spying • surveillance

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http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2X6OHAN7GLVLAIP4QLECKD3NY4 morgane

This thing will NEVER pass the Supreme Court test, like many of the conservatives new republican-type laws. I’m an atheist but i pray everyday for our Supreme Court’s health. They are becoming the unofficial opposition since those fucking tories got their majority last may (with only 40% of the votes – 60% of canadiens didn’t vote for these bastards). Three LOOOOONG YEARS TO GO’ dammit.

This damn govt is doing more for Québec Independance than the Parti Québécois ever did! They are LOATHED here. Man, they suck. Even Justin Trudeau of all people said in an interview on Radio-Canada francophone radio last week-end that he could vote for Independance if this conservative govt has its way. A Trudeau saying that!!!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/14/pol-justin-trudeau-quebec-sovereignty.html

When the Justice minister actually said (for real) that if you’re not for this bill, you’re on the side of the pedophiles…. you know we have some wingnuts here too! Hell, that’s Tea Party rhetoric.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-ibbitson/with-us-or-with-the-child-pornographers-doesnt-cut-it-mr-toews/article2337425/

I dream of 1993 everyday… from 151 seats to 2!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election,_1993

JE LES DÉTESTE!

Grrrrrr
- Shinkuhadoken
  
  I’m an atheist but i pray everyday for our Supreme Court’s health.
  
  I loled.
  
  Even Justin Trudeau of all people said in an interview on Radio-Canada
  francophone radio last week-end that he could vote for Independance if this conservative govt has its way.
  
  I’m from Western Canada, and to be honest, I’m glad Justin Trudeau took a shot across the bow of the Conservatives.
  
  If there’s anyone who can knock some liberty back into Canada, it’s the political juggernaut of Quebec. I don’t want Quebec to leave the country, but that’s the one threat that could galvanize some attention towards just how far to the right this government is trying to push us. (Although, if Quebec leaves, Alberta will certainly be the first to become a U.S. state or get themselves annexed to Montana. Kinda makes you wonder if that’s what they really want, no?)
  
  I want dialogue towards an amended Constitution. One that ends making the Queen the Head of State (she’s a nice lady, but I really don’t want her son Charles on my money someday), one the people can elect their own Senators, and one that finally makes Quebec feel at home within the rest of the country. Let’s get some representation back into Ottawa and some freedom back into our home provinces.
  
  There’s got to be a way to make this work.
Guest

Our Supreme Court is our hope? That’s rich.

Anyway, looks like provincial-level Tories’ calls for stricter lobbyist registration laws aren’t necessary anymore… they can just find out who we are using Lawful Access. I mean, every person who cares about Canada and therefore sometimes displays anti-Tory sentiments over the Internet is obviously a pedophile cyber terrorist animal rapist, right?
Guest

Oh… sorry, I meant to say “pedophile cyber terrorist animal rapist anti-semitic racist f**kface, right?”
- Guest
  
  Vikileaks is cyber terrorism. Not cool.
  - Guest
    
    I totally stand corrected (re: Manitoba). So I guess this was not cyber terrorism, let alone cyber crime.