original article:
For the past several years, governments have been extending their powers concerning the security of individuals in our society. This specifically addresses their power to access people’s media accounts and records. This movement was started by George Bush’s administration following the 9/11 attack, founding the American National Security Agency. This agency has since been granted the powers to virtually “spy” on all its citizens, and has been reported to spy on people in overseas countries, as well. Undoubtedly, the Conservative Government has been pressured by the United States’ government to follow in their tracks. Recently, the Canadian government used the issue of cyber bullying to pass its C-13 Bill, allowing any government agent to freely request data about people from telecom companies.
This issue is viewed as controversial by many, and should be viewed this way by many more. Unfortunately (and as expected), the government has not made an effort to inform the public about this bill. I am sure that most people, if asked, would not know that this change is taking place. However, it affects nearly every individual, as each person’s privacy is now being breached. It seems as if the government is using the issue of cyber bullying to pass a bill that they would have likely tried to pass regardless. They are claiming that this is to be a “preventative” measure towards cyber bullying, but I tend to disagree. Policing agencies previously had the right to request such information in order to track down a possible “cyber bully,” but all government agencies now have the right to ask for this information without even necessarily providing a reason. In order to stop cyber bullying, young people need to be educated to treat people with respect and empathy. They should also be taught how to deal with such issues in instances where it comes up. Accessing people’s information would allow for easier prosecution, but would not necessarily prevent such instances from taking place. On the other hand, the Canadian government is now following in the US’ lead in breaching people’s privacy for “security measures.”
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