Why Has the Canadian Gvt Given Up on Protecting Our Privacy?
by: MICHAEL GEIST | June 4, 2014 In recent years, it has become fashionable to argue that Canadians no longer care about their privacy. Supporters of this position note that…
civil liberties
Alberta’s “Traffic Court Reform”: One Step Closer to a Police State
Justice Minister Denis is touting “Traffic Court Reform” as a “citizen-friendly” dispute resolution process to “resolve” traffic tickets. It’s also the first step into a quagmire that erases our civil…
Rights groups demand independent oversight of federal agency CBSA
by: BC Civil Liberties Association | Press Release Public inquiry recommended oversight in 2006 – no action since that time The BC Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Council for Refugees…
freedom to read week 2014: celebrate your freedom to read
Image from Freedom to Read website Freedom to Read Week 2014 runs from February 23 to March 1. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Freedom to Read Week in…
surveillance at the border: outrage fades as we accept the new normal?
The surveillance state continues to grow; news of its magnitude continues to trickle out. Some people shrug, claiming only criminals and terrorists need be concerned, but in these extreme conditions,…
canadian woman refused entry to u.s. based on confidential health records
According to this news story, a Canadian woman named Ellen Richardson was refused entry into the United States because of a prior medical condition. That is, when the US border…
NAFTA, “Free Trade” and the TPP: Fast-Track To Full Corporate Rule
“Twenty years ago, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed into law. At the time, advocates painted a rosy picture of booming U.S. exports creating hundreds of thousands…
on the internet, everybody knows you’re a dog (the story behind the iconic cartoon)
We all know the iconic cartoon the title of this post refers to. Boing Boing has republished a story about it, originally run in The Magazine, an ad-free, reader-supported magazine…
Civil Liberties Group Sues Spy Agency Over Illegal Spying On Canadians
The BC Civil Liberties Association has filed a lawsuit against Canadian spy agency ASEC, claims its surveillance of Canadians is unconstitutional. The post Civil Liberties Group Sues Spy Agency Over…
For Those Who Don’t Know Their Place
What do you do when citizens believe that democratic rights should be more than an illusion? Call in the authorities to remind them of their true place in the foodchain.…
snowden: mass surveillance threatens to be the greatest human rights challenge of our time
The heroic Edward Snowden, in his own words, via Jesselyn Radack, at the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee in Brussels. I thank the European Parliament and the LIBE Committee for…
The deeper reasons for the “war on drugs”
There is a deeper reason for the war on drugs, which is the central reason for the policy, even outweighing profits from private prisons and seizure of property by law…
snowden, greenwald, miranda, and the creeping police state: one month later, we should still be disturbed
One month ago, something happened that should trouble us gravely. Something happened that people who believe in democracy and free speech and an independent media and civil liberties and human…
a witchunt and its backlash: interest in "a people’s history" surges, thanks to censorship attempts
Once upon a time in the state of Indiana… Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States, one of the country’s most widely read history books, died…
Democracy Now interview: Ladar Levison talks about decision to close Lavabit rather than comply with U.S. government
In a follow-up to the previous entry I’m posting a Democracy Now interview with Lavabit owner and operator Ladar Levison. Levison made the difficult decision to shut down the encrypted…
Bradley Manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy, guilty of lesser charges
Military judge Colonel Denise Lind found whistleblower Bradley Manning not guilty of the serious charge of “aiding the enemy”, and guilty of lesser charges which still carry the possibility of…