In an ‘unprecedented’ loss of data at the government department Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the digital data of 583,000 Canadians’ who had taken out a student loan was lost. With the government losing this much personal data, how can they ask to collect our private online data through
Continue readingAuthor: Diana Trusz
OpenMedia.ca: Together, we’re winning.
It’s been an action-packed year at OpenMedia—Internet freedom has been challenged on so many fronts, and with your support, we’ve made sure we’ve been there to defend it. The pro-Internet community is proving to be nimble and smart, allowing us to punch above our weight, especially as we scale up
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Internet throttling complaints increased in 2012.
The CRTC recently found that companies like Rogers and Bell continued to slow down our online Internet use, resulting in more complaints about throttling being filed in 2012 than in the whole two years before! Canadians have some of the highest Internet fees, yet are subjected to unfair and restrictive
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Today is Internet Freedom Day!
Today is the one-year anniversary of the pro-Internet community’s successful Internet blackout protesting the restrictive SOPA and PIPA. Support Internet freedom and celebrate today as Internet Freedom Day. Check out http://InternetFreedomDay/net to see what actions and events are happening to celebrate our successes, mobilize for pressing threats, and commemorate our
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: We need a more competitive cell phone market.
With three big telecom companies controlling 92% of the Canadian mobile market, Canadians have been dissatisfied long enough for a separate group, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services, to have been created a few years ago. This lack of choice is unacceptable and harmful for users. Demand more choice,
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The government’s broken promise of a digital strategy for Canada
Every time you open your high-priced telecom bills, think about how the government still doesn’t have a plan for an affordable, accessible digital future. Help shape that future, and tell your MP that Canadians deserve better – send the citizen-centric OpenMedia.ca action plan to your MP now: http://openmedia.ca/report — read
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Inspired by Aaron Swartz
“I think everyone should be inspired by what this one young person has been able to accomplish in his short life. Beyond that, I think the takeaway from this incident is that allowing old bureaucracies to impose punishments and restrictions on the emerging participatory economy and society creates tangible, if
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Tell the CRTC what you think of your cellphone market.
The CRTC is holding a hearing on February 11 about a national code of conduct for cell phone companies. We’re creating a report for the hearing and we need your help again. Share your service, contract, or fees horror story at www.cellphonehorrostory.ca. We’ll include them in the report and take
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The fight for a better mobile market.
Inga Sibga, a Montreal woman, launched a class action lawsuit against Big Telecom after being charged exorbitant roaming fees ($250!) while outside Canada. Obviously we have a broken cell phone market—we at OpenMedia.ca need your help to highlight this situation in the upcoming CRTC hearing for a national cell phone
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: What do you think comes next for 2013?
The Internet community faced many challenges in 2012 – threats to freedom of expression, access to information, and online privacy – meeting them head on and shared many successes. Some of these challenges, like the TPP, remain. What do *you* think comes next for 2013? What issues and actions do
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Bell’s second power grab is here.
You helped stop the Bell-Astral takeover last year that would have given Bell a monopolistic share of the media market and harmed citzen choice. Now, Bell is making a second power grab at Astral Media. The media giant hopes for “abbreviated hearings” (i.e., less citizen input) this time around. Speak
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canadians caused change in Bill C-30 legislation.
Your efforts to push back against the online spying bill C-30 through http://stopspying.ca stopped its passing in 2012. Bill C-30 is far from dead however, as discussions continue without input from Canadians. “Under the legislation, Internet service providers would need to be able to monitor user activity in real time
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CRTC’s local programming cut gives Big Telecom giants more control over Canadian media
Today, the CRTC announced its plan to cut the Local Programming Improvement Fund by August 31st, 2014. The Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) was created in late 2008 in response to a decade-long decline of the financial model for local media production in small markets. As community media struggled, however,
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