Big Telecom’s Bills: Weekly Update from OpenMedia.ca

Hello! Here's Lindsey with your update:

Government and Big Telecom have been all too willing to disregard public opinion when it comes to the controversial copyright bill C-11 and online spying bill C-30. But that can only last until our voices become too loud to ignore! To push back, yesterday, we launched a new video to help you educate as many Canadians as possible about the costly online spying scheme. Click here to watch and share the video, and send a message to your MP that you won't stand for online spying bill C-30!

Thanks for watching and reading,

- The OpenMedia.ca Team

Recent News:

Letter to Supporters: What will it cost?

Would you want up to three billion dollars of your country’s tax dollars spent on Vic Toews’ online spying plan? How would you feel if Public Safety Minister Vic Toews had already quietly set aside your tax dollars for the scheme?

This isn’t a hypothetical question. Despite media stories saying the bill will die, just last week Vic Toews arrogantly proclaimed that the government is still "intent on proceeding" with his unpopular warrantless online spying bill. And he just set aside millions of your tax dollars to pay for it.

Today, to push back, we’re launching a viral video—a new tool to help you educate as many Canadians as possible about this costly online spying scheme. We know from experience that when people get informed and get vocal en masse, we win. Read more »

Pro-Privacy Canadians Launch Viral Video To Say They Don’t Want To Pay For Online Spying Bill

Citizen-Made Video Launches After Millions Are Set Aside For Bill C-30 May 24, 2012 – OpenMedia.ca has launched a citizen-made online video educating Canadians about the true cost of the government’s online spying legislation C-30 and the threat it poses to personal privacy.

If passed, Bill C-30 will force Canadians to pay for a range of authorities to invasively access their private data, at any time, without a warrant. Despite media coverage suggesting Bill C-30 has been shelved, last week, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews proclaimed that the government is still “intent on proceeding” with its unpopular, warrantless online spying bill. It has also been revealed that Toews has quietly set aside millions in taxpayer dollars to pay for this costly online spying plan (see links below for details). Read more »

CBC Market Place: Rogers raises fees at will, despite contract

Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone fees in the industrialized world, and we're often left to fend for ourselves when Big Telecom is suspected of wrongdoing. As the economy still struggles and the outrageous cost of online spying looms, we simply can't afford this any more. Read more »

Big Telecom Companies and Government Officials Held Secret Online Spying (C-30) Forum

Apparently starting last year, Canada's biggest telecom giants and government officials came together to develop a secret online spying (Bill C-30) forum. According to Internet law expert Michael Geist: "In the months leading up to the introduction Bill C-30, Canada’s telecom companies worked actively with government officials to identify key issues and to develop a secret industry-government collaborative forum on lawful access.

The working group includes virtually all the major telecom and cable companies, whose representatives have signed nondisclosure agreements and been granted secret-level security clearance. The group is led by Bell Canada on the industry side and Public Safety for the government." Read more »

CBC: Koodo allows mentally disabled youth to incur $8000 in "premium" text fees

This video provides a great example of why we need strong, citizen-centric rules to protect cell phone users (including people with disabilities). A lack of choice in the cell phone market is one major reason cell phone companies can get away with tight contracts and disrespectful customer service, and why we need to policies that put users first. Take action here: http://StopTheSqueeze.ca/Read more »

See that blur? It’s the Copyright Modernization Act flying through Parliament

The controversial Copyright Modernization Act, Bill C-11, has shot through Parliament—its Introduction and First Reading, Second Reading, Committee Stage, and recently-completed Report Stage all took place in only a few short months. More than once in this process, time allocation motions cut debate short, and only a few amendments were passed. Now, with only the Third Reading and a final House of Commons vote to go, it’s become pretty clear what Canada’s new copyright legislation will look like. The good news is that together, we were able to stop the worst of what Big Media wanted from Bill C-11. There had been significant concerns that C-11 would give these giant corporations wide-ranging new powers to block online content and cut off accused (i.e. not necessarily convicted) copyright infringers from the Internet altogether. But thanks to the engaged group of pro-Internet Canadians who took action and made their voices heard, those amendments were not included. Read more »