E-Verify is a proposed U.S. government sponsored program that aims to prevent illegal immigrants from taking jobs from American citizens. Sounds great on the surface, but digging deeper into legislation exposes issues that are sounding alarms with privacy advocates from both sides of the political spectrum.

H.R 2885, commonly known as the “Legal Workforce Act,” was introduced in June 2011 by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas). The bill would create a bureaucratic nightmare for job seekers and employers alike. Furthermore, the federal government would be the grand arbiters of who could legally work in the U.S.

The main issue with privacy groups is that the proposed system would apply to every working person in the nation and could endanger free speech, free association and the ability to travel at will. It is believed that the E-Verify system would eventually use biometric data (fingerprints, DNA, iris scans, etc.), and this data could be made available to intelligence agencies, law enforcement and other entities. An article written by attorney and author, John Whitehead offers greater analysis of the legislation and the dangers it poses to the American people.

Click here to locate your U.S. House member to state your opposition.

Our friends north of the border are facing similar government abuses of their own. Bill C-52 has rattled the proverbial cage of OpenMedia.ca. This communication watchdog agency has gone so far as to issue Public Service Announcements in opposition to the bill. Lindsey Pinto, a spokesperson for the group stated, “We decided the Conservative government had not done enough to inform Canadians about the bill.”

The bill would allow law enforcement agencies warrantless access to information possessed by Internet service providers. The data would include their address, phone numbers, websites visited and other information retained by the ISP’s.

Government proponents of the bill defended the legislative provisions by stating that the bill would give them a way to investigate and combat criminal electronic communications.

Pinto went on to say this about the bill, “It’s warrantless, evasive and costly. The bill would have huge implications on your freedoms. We want people to use the Internet to the fullest extent possible without having to worry about authorities obtaining the information without a warrant.”

Click here to see the videos created to raise awareness about Bill C-52. There is also an online petition at http://StopSpying.ca.

Click here to contact the Canadian Parliament to voice your opposition.