Entitled Bill C-51, "an Act to enact the Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act and to amend the Criminal Code and others Acts," the law would require Internet service providers (ISPs) to install equipment that would allow them to monitor and preserve the Internet surfing activities of their customers. The providers could then be asked by police to collect and preserve surfing data of anyone suspected in engaging in criminal activity.
The law also makes it easier for law enforcement authorities to activate tracking mechanisms within cellphones so they can know the whereabouts of suspected criminals. If they're suspected of being international terrorists, the law would allow such tracking to go on for a year, rather than the current 60-day limit.
In recent months, open-Internet lobbyists and privacy advocates - including the privacy commissioner of Canada - have been warning the Conservative government not to adopt this bill, saying it is a serious infringement of civil liberties.
The bill, however, is not as invasive as some of the lobbyists had feared. Similar laws adopted in other countries have required ISPs to monitor the electronic communications of all their customers.
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: Jason Magder
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