With an election coming this year, PEN Canada feels that the time has come for straight talk from all who want the privilege of leading Canadians, on the issue of the government's cybersurveillance of citizens.
The following is a PEN Canada blog post by William Kowalski.
With the recent revelation of the existence of LEVITATION by the CBC proving once and for all that Canada is not just a “junior partner” in Five Eyes cybersurveillance, but is deeply involved at all levels, we at PEN Canada have grown ever more concerned about the role the government plays in monitoring our digital lives. Because an election is coming this year, perhaps sooner rather than later, we feel that the time has come for straight talk from all who want the privilege of leading us, on an issue that is of paramount importance to all Canadians, whether they realize it or not.
How much information about Canadians is being collected by our government? How about by the foreign governments of Five Eyes (which includes the US, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand)? Where is this information being stored? Who has access to it? What safeguards are in place to assure us that it won’t be misused? Who should be the watchdog over the Canadian Security Establishment (CSE) to ensure that the rules are being followed? Why do we not have the choice of opting out of this data collection without sacrificing our digital lives?
Read the full story on PEN Canada’s website.
