Beware of “Surveillance by Design:” Standing Up for Freedom and Privacy

January 26, 2012

Join Ontario’s Information & Privacy Commissioner Dr. Ann Cavoukian and highly respected privacy, legal, and academic experts as we discuss the implications of “lawful access” legislation in Canada

Friday, January 27, 2012
9:00am – 11:00am

MaRS Discovery District
MaRS Centre South tower, Suite 100
(Auditorium – Lower Level)
101 College Street, Toronto, ON

Concern is mounting regarding the impact of proposed “lawful access” legislation in Canada. Media coverage has greatly increased, with this issue becoming a hot topic of discussion by all stakeholders, from the legal community to telecom providers. The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has been instrumental in bringing attention to this upcoming legislation — which in our view, would represent a system of “Surveillance by Design.”

The anticipated re-introduction of a trio of federal bills (Bills C-50, C-51, C-52) will provide police with much greater ability to access and track information, via the communications technologies that we use every day, such as the Internet, smart phones, and other mobile devices, including without a warrant or oversight. Taken together, the three pieces of legislation will diminish the privacy rights of Ontarians and indeed of all Canadians.

We have an opportunity to raise awareness on this very important issue, with the goal of impacting the legislation as it is re-introduced. Please join us as we bring together highly respected thought leaders to discuss the implications of these federal bills.

In addition to Commissioner Cavoukian’s opening keynote, we are delighted to have an excellent cast of speakers:

• Alan Borovoy, General Counsel, Emeritus, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• Professor John Villasenor, The Brookings Institution and University of California, Los Angeles
• Dr. Ron Deibert, Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto
• Nathalie Des Rosiers, General Counsel, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• David Fraser, Lead, McInnes Cooper Privacy Practice Group
• John Ibbitson, Ottawa Bureau Chief, Globe and Mail

There is no cost to attend, but we would be grateful if you would take a moment to register for the event. Click here to RSVP for the event.

If you are unable to attend in person, we will be webcasting live and archiving the webcast online. Click here to register for the webcast.

The event is being held to celebrate International Privacy Day, marking 31 years since the first binding international convention of privacy came into force.

For more information, please click here.

If you have questions, please contact: info@ipc.on.ca