I've noticed a lot of bad digital rights stuff on HN over the last couple weeks - more pushes on age verification, attacks on end-to-end encryption, and now this. Is there something about the time of year? Maybe because the world cup is coming and people will be distracted?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q3x19ddl7o is perhaps an unintentionally good summary of this situation.
Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
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Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#32Why are they so determined to do evil?
It's a confluence of two things: (i) Canada's government policy community tends to be heavily influenced by legislative trends in the UK/Aus/NZ; this particular one is almost a direct import from the UK's ill-advised Online Safety Act, though worse in some ways, and (ii) a series of Canadian Supreme Court decisions, most notably 2024's Bykovets, which the security intelligence apparatus in Canada feels has totally ha…
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#33Why are they so determined to do evil?
Usually? Money. There's an exceptional amount of money to be had in creating the new digital feudal state. Given that most everyday digital technology is in the hands of a few powerful monopolies they feel they have the opportunity to actually pull this off.
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#34I'm reminded of a speech Barack Obama gave many years ago about the difficulty and necessity of finding a "happy medium" between protecting individual liberties and providing law enforcement with the abilities to provide security in a digital world. I think the topic itself is difficult for everyone involved - there will likely be a lot of uproar for many years as we get closer to finding this happy medium.
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#35If anyone believes the real intent behind this authoritarian legislation is to protect the kids or crack down on organized crime or to keep the public safe, I have a bridge to sell you. This is an administration that did away with mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes, considers pedophilia to be a minor offence, allow repeat violent offenders out on bail repeatedly, refuses to convict migrants if it might impact their chances of obtaining citizenship, has allowed thousands of terrorists to enter the country with minimal vetting, and openly tolerates election interference from China. Public safety is far, far down the list of their priorities. They are very thirsty to silence their online detractors, however.
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#36The is the thing and it happens in every Country. If a bill fails to pass it or none like it should be brought up for 5 years. I know doing that would be crazy, but Companies keep trying and trying until it is passed. Tin Foil hat time: It almost looks like it is a way to funnel Political Contributions (bribes) to the politicians. The politicians fail the bill because they felt they did not get enough Contributions :…
The republicans would bring up a bill for everything they don’t like and ceremonially vote it down which would make it inaccessible to the next round of democratic leadership.
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#37I've noticed a lot of bad digital rights stuff on HN over the last couple weeks - more pushes on age verification, attacks on end-to-end encryption, and now this. Is there something about the time of year? Maybe because the world cup is coming and people will be distracted?
I'm doubtful the venn diagram intersection of engineers and the world cup is as big as you think it is.
non-permanently-online activists on the other hand...
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#38Both the mandatory data retention and encryption backdoor requirements will cause encrypted messaging services like Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, Matrix, and others to block both Canadians and Canadian businesses from their services. If you live in Canada or are impacted by this legislation, then you need to tell both your MP and the Minister of Public Safety of Canada to reject this legislation. --- The Canadian Civil…
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#39I'm reminded of a speech Barack Obama gave many years ago about the difficulty and necessity of finding a "happy medium" between protecting individual liberties and providing law enforcement with the abilities to provide security in a digital world. I think the topic itself is difficult for everyone involved - there will likely be a lot of uproar for many years as we get closer to finding this happy medium.
Yeah the problem is you'll never get a politician to say "OK, _this_ is what we've determined the 'happy medium' is and we're going to codify in law that it will never go beyond this point." It'll just keep inching further and further and anytime someone complains, just go back to step one and dish out some more "elder statesman" wisdom about having to find a "happy medium." Rinse and repeat. Worked on you, didn't it?
Re: Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
#40I'm reminded of a speech Barack Obama gave many years ago about the difficulty and necessity of finding a "happy medium" between protecting individual liberties and providing law enforcement with the abilities to provide security in a digital world. I think the topic itself is difficult for everyone involved - there will likely be a lot of uproar for many years as we get closer to finding this happy medium.