Facing criticism from both outside and within its ranks, it seems the Conservatives are backtracking on a bill that would give police greater online monitoring powers.

On Tuesday, the Tories - with their usual bravado - re-introduced the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act in Parliament, amid a storm of protest claiming the bill was too intrusive and violated personal privacy rights.

According to the Globe and Mail, the Harper government uncharacteristically has had an about face.

On Wednesday the government announced that they're prepared to send the controversial legislation to committee before a vote on second reading, a rarely-used procedural manoeuvre that allows MPs to make major changes to the legislation.

"What that is a signal of is that the government is open to a broad range of amendments in order to get the right balance," Government House Leader Peter Van Loan told the House.

"Our objective here is to provide the necessary tools for police to be able to do what they used to do with old technology with new technology while at the same time ensuring that individuals' privacy rights are protected."

The change came the same day some Conservative MPs publicly voiced their concerns over the bill.

"I think it's too intrusive as it currently stands and does need to be looked at," New Brunswick Tory MP John Williamson, one of several MPs to talk to reporters told the Globe.

"There's a lot of concern, I think, across the country as well."

Liberal insider and political analyst Warren Kinsella says introducing the bill was "unstrategic" on the part of the Tories.

"In my experience, it is rank and file Conservatives who are most active on the Internet," he told Yahoo! Canada News on Wednesday.

"They are also the constituency most opposed to government snooping. What [the Harper government] is doing is going to hurt [the] government with their Conservative core, big time."