Tories to kill Bill C-30, Nicholson says

The Conservative government will not go ahead with its so-called Internet surveillance bill, C-30, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said Monday. "We will not be proceeding with Bill C-30, and any attempts we will have to modernize the Criminal Code will not contain the measures in C-30, including the warrantless mandatory disclosure of basic subscriber information, or the requirement for telecommunications service providers to build intercept capabilities within their systems," Nicholson told reporters on Parliament Hill. He said any changes to the Criminal Code "will not contain those" measures. Nicholson said the government chose not to proceed with the bill, which was stalled in the House of Commons and officially called the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act, due to concerns from Canadians. Right now, Internet service providers (ISPs) provide subscriber information to law enforcement authorities on a voluntary basis. Telecom providers, including ISPs and mobile carriers, may release a subscriber’s name, phone number and home address to police without a court order when authorities request the information and explain why it's needed. Telecom experts had criticized C-30—which would require Internet and mobile providers to disclose customer information to authorities without a court-ordered warrant—as a “wide open” surveillance bill. Federal and provincial privacy commissioners also expressed concerns about the legislation. The government will instead proceed with legislative amendments that deal with warrantless police wiretaps and constitutional concerns expressed by the Supreme Court in its decision on R. v. Tse, issued in April 2012 (case No. 33751). The Canadian Press reported Monday that the new legislation will provide police with the authority to wiretap phones without a warrant where there is an emergency or risk of imminent harm. Interceptions based on a risk of imminent harm will require police notification of the wiretap within 90 days, CP reported.

Tories to kill Bill C-30, Nicholson says

Briefs | 02/11/2013 11:58 pm EST

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