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This article was published 6/3/2015 (2024 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Concern over the Federal government’s proposed anti-terrorism bill has prompted privacy commissioners across Canada to act.

Provincial and territorial privacy oversight officers have jointly released a letter to the chair of the standing committee on public safety and national security expressing concerns about the privacy implications of Bill C-51, otherwise known as the anti-terrorism act.

Provincial ombudsmen detailed seven amendment recommendations to the chair of the standing committee, specifically related to the general language being used in Bill C-51.

"We are confident that it is possible to both improve our capacity to preempt future terrorist attacks and enhance the privacy, accountability and transparency safeguards necessary to preserve our free and open democracy," the letter said.

The document, signed by all 11 provincial and territorial Ombudsmen, was released in conjunction with a letter of similar concern from the Federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien.

"Provincial oversight officers share the commissioner’s concerns that the new legislation fails to strike the right balance between safety and privacy," Acting Manitoba Ombudsman Mel Holley said in a statement.

Privacy commissioners have expressed concern that the proposed legislation would open up all Canadians, not just suspected terrorists, to the unfiltered collection, analysis and holding of personal information by the Federal government in an attempt to find the "virtual needle in the haystack."

The bill would also provide 17 federal government agencies with almost limitless powers to monitor and profile ordinary Canadians, with a view to identifying security threats among them.

According to the Ombudsmen, national security agencies would potentially be aware of all interactions that all Canadians have with their government, knowledge ranging from tax information to time spent outside the country.