Change in law enforcement powers should not harm businesses: ITAC

The government should ensure that any changes to powers granted to law enforcement should not undermine the innovation economy and the privacy of Canadians, the association representing the information and communications technology industry argued in a submission Thursday to the government’s national security consultation. A background document used for the consultation by Public Safety Canada, which ends Thursday, highlighted issues for investigators, including slow access to subscriber information, advanced encryption techniques and the lack of a requirement for telecom companies to have the ability to intercept messages. The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) said in its response to the consultation that measures including surveillance capabilities and backdoor requirements could undermine Canada’s innovation economy, which would make it more difficult for Canadian businesses to compete in the global marketplace and distract from innovation in a “hyper-competitive” marketplace. This, in part, would make it more costly for consumers and businesses to adopt “productivity enhancing tools,” the response said. ITAC also said that such measures, including mass data retention, would require “significant capital investments by ICT businesses.” It added that a framework for compensation should be developed to repay affected businesses. If interception powers are expanded, the government should also make sure it doesn’t “undermine Canada’s reputation as a trustworthy technology jurisdiction.” The group also suggested the government work with industry and law enforcement to develop “standardized templates and definitions” to “improve the consistency and predictability” of court orders, while limiting the scope of its searches to respect privacy. Also Thursday, a group of more than 30 civil society experts and organizations, including the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) and the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, urged the government in a letter to “release all submissions” it received on the consultation. The group is concerned about “biased language” in the online consultation and a “lack of transparency around how the feedback will be treated.” Earlier this month, the country’s privacy watchdogs responded to the consultation, saying that the government had not made its case for why law enforcement needs stronger powers to intercept and share citizens’ information.

Change in law enforcement powers should not harm businesses: ITAC

Brief | December 15, 2016

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Change in law enforcement powers should not harm businesses: ITAC

Brief | December 15, 2016

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