FC: Will Canada's Internet providers become spies?

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Tue Aug 27 2002 - 16:43:23 PDT

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    http://news.com.com/2100-1023-955595.html?tag=politech
    
        Will Canada's ISPs become spies?
        By Declan McCullagh
        August 27, 2002, 12:56 PM PT
    
        WASHINGTON--The Canadian government is considering a proposal that
        would force Internet providers to rewire their networks for easy
        surveillance by police and spy agencies.
    
        A discussion draft released Sunday also contemplates creating a
        national database of every Canadian with an Internet account, a plan
        that could sharply curtail the right to be anonymous online.
    
        [...]
    
    ---
    
    
    From: David Akin <dakinat_private>
    To: "'declanat_private'" <declanat_private>
    Subject: Canada to review electronic surveillance laws
    
    Hey Declan --
    May be a bit too 'Canadian' for Politech but here you are . ...
    
    David Akin
    CTV News
    The Globe and Mail
    
    Office: 416.313.2503
    Mobile: 416.528.3819
    
    
     > -----Original Message-----
     > From:
     > IMCEANOTES-industry-industrie+40ic+2Egc+2Eca+40ICGCat_private
     > [mailto:IMCEANOTES-industry-industrie+40ic+2Egc+2Eca+40ICGCat_private]
     > Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 7:13 AM
     > Subject: Government of Canada to Review Lawful Access Laws
     >
     >
     > Date: 2002/08/25
     >
     > QUEBEC, August 25, 2002 --  The Honourable Martin Cauchon,
     > Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the
     > Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Solicitor General of Canada,
     > and the Honourable Allan Rock, Minister of Industry, today
     > announced that the Government of Canada will consult with
     > Canadians concerning lawful access to information and
     > communications.  The consultation was launched by Minister
     > MacAulay, on behalf of his colleagues, at the annual meeting
     > of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP).
     >
     > "Lawful access legislation must protect the privacy of
     > Canadians and reflect their values. The Government of Canada
     > will be examining current laws to ensure crimes and other
     > threats to public safety can continue to be investigated
     > effectively," said Minister Cauchon.
     >
     > "Legislation governing lawful access was originally designed
     > for rotary telephones -- not e-mail or the Internet," said
     > Minister MacAulay.  "Dated laws allow criminals and
     > terrorists to use technology to hide their illicit
     > activities. This initiative is about keeping our laws current
     > so that the police can do their job and keep Canadians safe."
     >
     > "Technology is a great enabler for Canadians, but also
     > presents challenges for law enforcement," said Minister Rock.
     > "Through this process, we are seeking ideas from law
     > enforcement, industry and all Canadians to find a solution
     > that supports public safety and privacy, and how to achieve
     > this without inhibiting industry's ability to innovate and compete."
     >
     > Lawful access is the lawful interception of communications,
     > and the search and seizure of information by law enforcement
     > and national security agencies.  Updating lawful access
     > legislation is essential to a broad range of investigative
     > bodies, in their continued efforts to fight crimes such as
     > terrorism, child pornography, drug trafficking, smuggling,
     > Internet and telemarketing fraud, price fixing and money
     > laundering. Lawful access can only be exercised with a lawful
     > authority, and is well entrenched in laws such as the
     > Criminal Code, the Canadian Security Intelligence Act, the
     > Competition Act and other Acts of Parliament. Lawful access
     > legislation also recognizes the privacy rights of all people
     > in Canada and their rights under the Canadian Charter of
     > Rights and Freedoms.
     >
     > This consultation process will involve key stakeholders
     > including law enforcement, telecommunications companies,
     > civil liberties and privacy organizations. The public will
     > also be given the opportunity to consider lawful access
     > issues and options for change by obtaining a consultation
     > paper, which is available at
     > www.canada.justice.gc.ca/en/cons/la_al. Those wishing to
     > respond may send their submissions to la-alat_private
     > before November 15, 2002.
     >
     > In the January 2001 Speech from the Throne, the Government of
     > Canada pledged to provide modern tools to safeguard Canadians
     > from emerging threats such as cyber-crime.  The lawful access
     > consultation will contribute to the Government's ongoing
     > commitments, both nationally and internationally, to ensure a
     > balanced and effective approach to addressing threats to
     > public safety and national security.
     >
     > References:
     >
     > Media Relations Office
     > Department of Justice
     > (613) 957-4207
     >
     > Suzanne Thébarge
     > Director of Communications
     > Minister's Office
     > (613) 992-4621		
     > Communications
     > Solicitor General Canada
     > (613) 991-2800
     >
     > Dan Brien
     > Press Secretary
     > Minister MacAulay's Office
     > (613) 991-2874		
     > Media Relations
     > Industry Canada
     > (613) 947-1970
     >
     > Selena Beattie
     > Press Secretary
     > Minister Rock's Office
     > (613) 995-9001
     >
     > ________________________		
     >
     > Backgrounder
     > Review of Lawful Access Legal Framework
     >
     > What is Lawful Access?
     >
     > Lawful access is the interception of communications and the
     > search and seizure of information, which law enforcement and
     > national security agencies
     > use to conduct investigations.    Lawful access can only be
     > exercised with a
     > lawful authority and is well entrenched in laws such as the
     > Criminal Code, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
     > Act, the Competition Act and other Acts of Parliament. Lawful
     > access legislation also recognizes the privacy rights of all
     > people in Canada and their rights under the Canadian Charter
     > of Rights and Freedoms.
     >
     > A Changing Environment
     >
     > Rapid developments in information and communication
     > technologies have offered Canadians a wide range of
     > e-commerce and information sharing opportunities.  While
     > these technologies provide many advantages to our society,
     > they can also be used to conduct and shield illicit
     > activities such as drug trafficking, murder, child
     > pornography, smuggling, Internet and telemarketing fraud,
     > price fixing, and terrorism.  Consumers have become the
     > targets of fraud and businesses are affected by malicious
     > acts that undermine their ability to compete in the
     > electronic marketplace.  With globally connected networks,
     > the consequences of these crimes have become more far-reaching.
     >
     > These new technologies are posing challenges to conventional
     > lawful access methods. Law enforcement and national security
     > agencies must often overcome a variety of technical hurdles
     > before they can access the communication or information that
     > they are legally authorized to collect.  These include:
     >
     > Wireline communications: Law enforcement and national
     > security agencies have conducted lawful investigations with
     > wireline services for many years. However, more advanced
     > service options and calling features have created new obstacles.
     >
     > Wireless communications: The rapid expansion in the use of
     > wireless communications tools including cellular telephones,
     > wireless e-mail and Internet devices and satellite
     > communications can pose a significant challenge for law
     > enforcement and national security agencies, which must now
     > deal with a variety of companies and a diversified
     > combination of network infrastructures.
     >
     > The Internet: The Internet is a collection of thousands of
     > networks around the world, that exchange and share
     > information but the Internet has no centralized physical
     > location or control.  The complex technology of Internet
     > communications, the need for sophisticated equipment to
     > investigate Internet communications, and the lack of
     > provisions that would require Internet Service Providers
     > (ISPs) to implement procedures for lawful intercept
     > capabilities have created difficulties for investigators.
     >
     > International commitments
     >
     > The global nature of new technology has increased the need
     > for international cooperation in developing effective
     > solutions.  Several of Canada's international partners have
     > updated their legislation to ensure that their law
     > enforcement and national security agencies maintain their
     > lawful access capabilities.  Canada is currently involved in
     > discussions with the G8 and other countries on issues such as
     > cross-border search and seizure; tracing the source and
     > destination of computer communications; and cooperation
     > between law enforcement and national security agencies and industry.
     >
     > On November 23, 2001, Canada signed the Council of Europe
     > Convention on Cyber-Crime, which requires states to
     > criminalize certain forms of abuse of computer systems and
     > certain crimes when they are committed using computer
     > systems. The Convention also supports international
     > cooperation to detect, investigate and prosecute these
     > criminal offences, as well as to collect electronic evidence
     > of any criminal offence, including organized crime and
     > terrorist acts. Canada played an important role in the
     > drafting and negotiation of the Convention and is one of over
     > 30 signatories to it.
     >
     > At the G8 Justice and Interior Ministers' meeting held at
     > Mont Tremblant in May 2002, the Ministers of Justice and
     > Interior of the G8 states endorsed recommendations to trace
     > networked communications across national borders in order to
     > combat terrorist and criminal organizations, as well as a
     > number of other documents that would help governments to
     > combat high tech crime.
     >
     > By implementing the provisions outlined in the consultation
     > paper, Canada will be in a position to ratify the Convention.
     > It will also contribute to our G8 and other global obligations.
     >
     > Consultations
     >
     > The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining public
     > safety and national security, protecting the rights and
     > privacy of all people in Canada, encouraging the growth of
     > electronic commerce and a competitive electronic marketplace
     > and safeguarding computer systems.  At the same time, the
     > Government recognizes that new information and communication
     > technologies are challenging the investigative abilities of
     > law enforcement and national security agencies.
     >
     > The Government of Canada will be holding consultations to
     > provide a broad range of stakeholders, including the
     > provinces and territories, law enforcement and national
     > security agencies, telecommunications and related industry
     > representatives, civil liberties and privacy organizations
     > and the legal community, with an opportunity to consider
     > lawful access issues and options for policy and legislative changes.
     >
     > To facilitate these consultations and public input, a
     > consultation document on lawful access is available at
     > www.canada.justice.gc.ca/en/cons/la_al.
     > Submissions may be
     > sent to
     > la-alat_private before November 15, 2002.
     >
     > The consultation document outlines legislative, regulatory
     > and policy options that would ensure that law enforcement and
     > national security agencies maintain their lawful access
     > capability, while taking into account legal, technical,
     > privacy and economic considerations.
     >
     > A central element of these proposed options would require all
     > wireless, wireline and Internet service providers to have the
     > technical capability to provide access to communications and
     > information, under legal authority, to law enforcement and
     > national security agencies. Proposed Criminal Code amendments
     > include the creation of production and preservation orders
     > for data as well as other amendments to modernize the law to
     > deal with new technologies.
     >
     > These consultations are a part of the Government of Canada's
     > commitment, made in the January 2001 Speech from the Throne,
     > to provide modern tools to safeguard Canadians from emerging
     > threats such as cyber-crime.  The lawful access consultations
     > will also contribute to Canada's ratification of the Council
     > of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime, the implementation of G8
     > recommendations and to Canada's ongoing commitment to work
     > with international partners and ensure a balanced and
     > effective approach to addressing threats to public safety and
     > national security. The proposals outlined in the consultation
     > paper parallel measures that have been taken by other countries.
     >
     > Federal government partners involved in the lawful access
     > consultations include the Department of Justice Canada,
     > Solicitor General Canada, Industry Canada, the RCMP, the
     > Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Department of
     > Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Competition Bureau.
    
    
    
    
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