As Parliament prepares to resume Canadians launch three online videos to let Canadians know about the government’s plan.

Proposed bill will allow authorities to access private information of any Canadian, at any time, without a warrant.

September 15, 2011 – OpenMedia.ca just launched three PSA-style videos as part of a citizen-led public education campaign to raise awareness about impending electronic surveillance laws. The Conservative government is putting the finishing touches on a set of bills that will force every phone and Internet provider to surrender Canadians’ personal information to "authorities," without a warrant. In a recent survey, 8 out of 10 Canadians were opposed to the legislation.

“Where does it end? Are we going to let authorities look at our emails, our Facebook conversations, our phone discussions?” said OpenMedia.ca Executive Director Steve Anderson today.

Working with OpenMedia.ca, concerned citizens have produced several video and audio PSAs. The PSAs have been sent to media outlets across the country and shared online using social media. OpenMedia.ca has just sent the videos to its 540,000 pro-Internet community. They can be found and shared online at http://openmedia.ca/educate.

“The government has failed to inform Canadians about the privacy and critical data security implications of the invasive online spying bills they’re tabling,” says Steve Anderson, OpenMedia.ca Executive Director. “This is irresponsible and we’re happy to see citizens step up to the plate to educate their fellow Canadians at this pivotal moment.”

The videos show satirical real-world situations where everyday expectations of privacy are violated. The twist? These are the same violations that would occur online under the proposed laws.

Anderson adds: “This legislation will essentially create a new mandatory Internet registry of private data and force Canadians to pay for it. Canadians simply want an open and affordable Internet; this legislation clearly takes this country in the wrong direction.”

The videos and other educational tools can be found at http://openmedia.ca/educate

Over 50,000 Canadians have already signed the Stop Online Spying petition (http://stopspying.ca) that acts a voice of opposition against the government’s invasive legislation.

Contact

Lindsey Pinto
Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca
778-238-7710
lindseyopenmedia.ca

Jeremy Brown (Rattlesnake Films)
Video Director/Producer
inforattlesnakefilms.ca

Chris Potter (Klout Marketing)
Radio PSA Producer
705-875-1407

Background Materials

Lawful Access Legislation: 8 In 10 Oppose Internet Surveillance Without A Warrant
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/08/25/lawful-access-surveillance_n_936...

Small ISPs foresee cost burden in 'Lawful Access' bills
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=63069&PageMem=1

Letter to Public Safety Canada from Canada's Privacy Commissioners http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2011/let_110309_e.cfm

Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper from civil liberties and public interest groups
http://openmedia.ca/letter-prime-minister-stephen-harper-response-lawful...

About OpenMedia.ca

OpenMedia.ca is a non-partisan, non-profit public engagement organization working to advance and support an open and innovative communications system in Canada. Our primary goal is to increase informed participation in Internet governance.

OpenMedia.ca is best-known for coordinating the “Stop The Meter” campaign earlier this year. The Stop The Meter campaign is widely considered the largest online citizens’ campaign in Canadian history involving nearly half a million Canadians.

About the Stop Online Spying Coalition

The Stop Online Spying campaign is supported by a group of public interest organizations, civil liberties groups, businesses, and concerned academics that have come together to encourage the government to reconsider its pending "Lawful Access" legislation (formerly introduced as Bills C-50, C-51, and C-52). The group believes the proposed legislation enables warrantless surveillance that is invasive, excessive and costly. Over 50,000 Canadians have signed the Stop Online Spying petition at http://stopspying.ca