New bill will expand citizens’ privacy
New legislation will “lower the legal standards” for access to databases of private information, claims the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) in a new report. It says the proposal would require all telecommunications service providers to provide access to police for surveillance purposes. But SFU criminology assistant professor Sara Smyth doesn’t see it the same way. “The BCCLA loves to frighten people with its fear-mongering press releases about lawful access – they've been doing that for years,” says Smyth, who has written a paper on this topic. “Contrary to what they say, lawful access is a much-needed, long-overdue change that will (hopefully) be implemented soon. Rather than decreasing our privacy, it will actually expand it.”

Sara Smyth, 604.617.7109, sara_smyth@sfu.ca