An access-to-information request from The Globe and Mail has revealed that Canada’s Communications Security Establishment has concerns about our nation’s network security. Specifically, the documents show that Huawei Technologies—a Chinese company that has become the world’s leading maker of telecom equipment—has been the subject of national security concerns. With all
Continue readingAuthor: Lindsey Pinto
OpenMedia.ca: The McGill OpenMedia.ca campus club goes to the Bell/Astral hearing
As part of a larger campaign to spread awareness about communications issues in Canada, we at OpenMedia.ca have been encouraging students at universities and colleges across Canada to run OpenMedia.ca clubs on their campuses. These clubs work on a variety of outreach, organizing, and public education activities—including speaking events, film
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: OpenMedia joins Freedom Not Fear in fighting surveillance measures that threaten Internet freedom
We at OpenMedia are proud, this year, to be a part of a coalition of more than 150 organizations that share a common goal: freedom, not fear. Every September, the Freedom Not Fear Coalition meets in many different places around the world to reinforce the push for fundamental rights like
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Inside the government’s online spying task force
What’s 340 pages long and contains emails, meeting transcripts, and talking points? Proof that the government has been intently monitoring—and thus actively disregarding—the public outcry against warrantless online spying bill C-30 since day one. (I realize that as a joke, this is weak. As a government practice, however, this is
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Reporting back on the Bell/Astral hearing: The early days
The first couple days of the Bell/Astral hearing have come and gone – and I’ve got to say, they’ve been riveting. No joke. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you may want to skip this blog for now and start by visiting our campaign page. It’s been really encouraging
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Media Advisory: The public demands the CRTC stop Bell’s takeover
Takeover_210x150_120816.png The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is examining Bell Canada’s $3.4 billion takeover of Astral Media at hearings in Montreal the week. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre, an Ottawa-based consumer group is scheduled to appear before the Commission on Wednesday, September 12. PIAC is a member of the
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Momentum shifts in push towards Internet freedom: StopTheTrap.net update
Get ready to raise some ruckus: the next round of TPP negotiations is only a week away. From Thursday, September 6th to Saturday the 15th, in Leesburg, Virginia, U.S.A, negotiators will reconvene behind closed doors and make decisions about the future of Internet freedom worldwide. We at OpenMedia and the
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canadians to CRTC: Bell Takeover of Astral is Bad for Canada
Takeover_210x150_120816.png Diverse Coalition forms in response to Bell’s proposed acquisition of Astral Media August 28, 2012 – Bell’s proposed takeover of Astral Media is bad for Canada. That’s the message being sent by the new, broad-based coalition of groups known as the Stop the Takeover Coalition. The Coalition consists of
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canadians launch platform to defend Internet freedom worldwide
OMI_256x256.png Mobile-adaptive site launched as threats to open Internet access go global August 23, 2012 – In response to the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) process and other threats to Internet freedom, Canadian non-profit Internet freedom organization, OpenMedia, is launching a platform to amplify the voices of the global pro-Internet community.
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: How we use the Internet to save the Internet
Our Executive Director, Steve, popped online during his vacation to suggest we put together a blog entry about how OpenMedia.ca’s online petitions have been effective. He noted that a lot of the newer members of the pro-Internet community might not know about the amazing progress we made with our groundbreaking
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Latest TPP leak suggests a wave of dissent amongst negotiating parties
Citizens around the world clearly don’t like what the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—a worrying multinational trade agreement—would do to the Internet and the rules that surround its governance. This distrust and concern has been vocalized clearly by over 100,000 pro-Internet community members who have signed the StopTheTrap.net petition. Beyond the TPP’s
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: U.S. spying bill CISPA defeated on the Senate floor
After a long battle, the global pro-Internet community saw a victory today as U.S. online spying bill CISPA was defeated on the Senate floor. Like Canada’s online spying bill C-30, CISPA would give the U.S. government access to residents’ personal data with few restrictions or privacy safeguards. Though in April,
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Large petition against TPP’s Internet trap hand-delivered to negotiations in San Diego
delivery1.jpg Broad coalition confronts TPP negotiations armed with over 90,000-strong StopTheTrap.net petition July 7, 2012 – Organizations and people belonging to the StopTheTrap.net Coalition delivered 90,000+ signatures from around the world to Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations Friday, arguing that the trade agreement’s Internet restriction provisions would create an “Internet trap”. Led
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Stop The Trap
Highlight Image: Highlight Link: http://stopthetrap.net
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Secretive trade agreement could mean big fines for Canadian Internet users, says new coalition
TPP-STT_100x100_120626.png Canadians kick off international coalition to fight new Internet restrictions proposed in TPP trade agreement June 27, 2012 – OpenMedia.ca launched a campaign today, supported a by a group of organizations, to stand against the new Internet restrictions, including new content fines, that Internet users will be subject to
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Parliament is on summer break; the online spying bill will have to wait
The Conservative Party said they’d pass the online spying bill in their first 100 days as majority government and we, together, stopped them. The House of Commons has adjourned, and MPs won’t be back in Parliament until September. Given Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ statements and ongoing PR push, this
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canada’s Digital Future at Risk as Ottawa joins Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
openmedia_logo.jpg Pro-Internet group OpenMedia.ca warns that entry into TPP could force an “Internet lockdown” in Canada June 19, 2012 – Canada has become the latest country to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a secretive international trade agreement that will include rules for copyright, trademarks, and patents that are far more restrictive
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Affordability and transparency in the aftermath of the StopTheMeter.ca campaign
It’s been over a year and a half since we at OpenMedia.ca launched the StopTheMeter.ca campaign. After the CRTC decided to allow Big Telecom to impose usage-based billing—Internet metering—on their independent competitors in November 2010, thousands of Canadians came together to push for online choice and affordability, and managed to
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canada’s next great CRTC chair
Canada has a new CRTC chair: Jean Pierre Blais. The appointment will take effect on June 18. We were hoping to publish this blog post before the decision was made, but here’s a now-somewhat-late rundown of the contenders who could have been chair: in addition to the somewhat-unknown Jean Pierre
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Media Advisory: OpenMedia.ca Releases Names of MPs Standing With Canadians Against Warrantless Online Spying
SOS_100xx100.png Citizen Outcry Against Bill C-30 Pushes Over Sixty MPs to Add Their Names to OpenMedia.ca Pro-Privacy Listing WHO: Steve Anderson, Executive Director, OpenMedia.ca Lindsey Pinto, Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca WHAT: OpenMedia.ca has just released a tool that displays the names of the over sixty Members of Parliament—nearly two-thirds of opposition
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