February 14th, 2012 by ElizaP

Real-time police monitoring of online communications could become reality if a reintroduced set of laws is passed in Parliament. The Conservative government’s set of three laws, named “Lawful Access“, would force Canadian ISPs to release subscriber information to authorities without the requirement of a warrant for that information and require ISPs to upgrade their networks to make it possible for law enforcement to access and monitor real-time online activity. In addition to the highly controversial nature of the proposed legislation, many fear that the potential high costs to upgrade networks would put smaller ISPs completely out of business. In addition, digital rights activists along with privacy commissioners say that this proposed legislation, if passed, would transform the country into an unaccountable surveillance state that’s regulated by law enforcement. A recent survey revealed that 80% of Canadians are against giving the government the ability to collect digital information without a warrant.