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By OpenMedia.ca, on May 14, 2013, at 1:04 pm
The federal government may be the biggest risk to Canadians’ privacy as “some government departments have suffered breaches virtually every 48 hours.”
The government continually pushes for more of our private data, yet history shows it as a great deal of troubling protecting it. We deserve better. Call for a pro-privacy commitment now: http://openmedia.ca/stand
Article by Michael Geist for the Toronto Star:
As Canadians focused last week on the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and the RCMP arrests of two men accused of plotting to attack Via Rail, the largest sustained series of privacy breaches in Canadian (Read more…)
By Lindsey Pinto, on May 10, 2013, at 3:33 pm DC-Fees_200x200_130423.png
Cell phone prices rising 13% more quickly than inflation
WHO: Steve Anderson, Executive Director, OpenMedia.ca Lindsey Pinto, Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca
WHAT: J.D Power & Associates released a study that shows Canadians are paying 13% more for cell phone service than they did last year – this while Canada’s overall inflation rate holds steady at 1%.
At the start of 2013, the average monthly cell phone bill in Canada topped $77, an increase of $9 from 2012, according to the study.
OpenMedia.ca says that this is largely due to a “broken cell phone market”, in (Read more…)
By Lindsey Pinto, on April 22, 2013, at 9:43 pm 115.jpg
OpenMedia.ca lauds Vancouver plan, stating that a strategy is crucial for a vibrant digital future
April 16, 2013 – As Canadians wait with increasingly less patience for Industry Canada’s long-promised digital strategy, it appears that one city is taking matters into its own hands. From their mountainous British Columbia home, councillors of the City of Vancouver have crafted a plan that includes providing public wi-fi, sponsoring digital literacy programs, and creating a dedicated “digital services” department.
The Digital Strategy is slated to be implemented over a four year period, and is valued at approximately $30 million.
OpenMedia. (Read more…) a pro-Internet citizens’ group that has decried the ongoing delays in the federal government’s digital strategy—one promised four years ago—is lauding the City of Vancouver’s plans, agreeing that they take steps toward a more vibrant digital future for Vancouverites.
read more
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: City of Vancouver releases digital strategy, while Industry Canada quietly continues to delay
By Lindsey Pinto, on April 15, 2013, at 2:35 pm
Today, on a call with reporters, Industry Minister Christian Paradis signalled that he may take a stand to ensure we don’t see even less choice in Canada’s already uncompetitive and dysfunctional cell phone market.
Earlier this year Shaw announced that it would attempt to sell quality spectrum—a key resource for providing cell phone service—to Canada’s largest provider, Rogers. Over 33,000 Canadians have since spoken out against the deal, saying that this would concentrate even more power in Rogers’ hands, and lead to more price-gouging and disrespectful service. The call was also made in a letter to the Industry Minister
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Pressure from Canadians is starting to have an effect: Paradis signals discomfort with the Shaw-Rogers backroom deal
By OpenMedia.ca, on March 27, 2013, at 5:38 pm Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
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By OpenMedia.ca, on March 14, 2013, at 1:26 pm Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
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By OpenMedia.ca, on March 8, 2013, at 2:22 pm Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
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By Lindsey Pinto, on March 6, 2013, at 12:09 pm openmedia_logo.jpg
Bell refuses to listen to public opinion and continues to consolidate control over Canadian communications rather than compete
March 6, 2013 – The CRTC has called a public hearing in response to Bell—Canada’s largest telecom and media conglomerate—once again attempting to take over Astral Media. The CRTC denied Bell’s original proposal in Fall 2012, as it found that this concentration of power would not benefit the public.
Despite the fact that their initial merger Bell and Astral proposal being denied by both the CRTC and Canadians across the country the two companies have come back with a “watered-down”
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Telecom Giant Bell Re-Attempts Takeover of Astral Media Assets
By Catherine Hart, on March 1, 2013, at 4:38 pm
Is online spying dead? New threats and the case for vigilance
There has been growing concern amongst many members of the pro-privacy community that the government’s new Bill C-55 has risen from the ashes of the costly, invasive, and warrantless online spying Bill C-30 that was formally withdrawn earlier this year.
Well, you can rest-assured that Bill C-55 is not Bill C-30 with a pretty new dress.
To refresh your memory on why Bill C-30 was so strongly opposed, here’s BCCLA Policy Director Micheal Vonn’s short and succinct summary of what was originally proposed in the bill:
read more
By OpenMedia.ca, on February 27, 2013, at 8:09 pm Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
read more
By Lindsey Pinto, on February 27, 2013, at 2:37 pm SOS_100xx100.png
OpenMedia.ca says new NDP bill is a stepping stone in protecting Canadians’ online privacy rights
February 27, 2013 – Grassroots pro-Internet organization OpenMedia.ca is hopeful that NDP MP Charmaine Borg’s private member’s bill will act as a stepping stone towards protecting Canadians’ online privacy from government authorities. OpenMedia.ca is a non-partisan organization, but one which acknowledges politicians who listen to Canadians and take steps towards Internet openness, including online privacy, security, and affordability.
At a press conference Wednesday, Borg officially announced her intent to pass a Private Member’s Bill that would force companies to notify
By Lindsey Pinto, on February 21, 2013, at 7:32 pm UBB_Meter_101101.png
CRTC responds to Canadians after big telecom companies attempt a “backdoor price hike” using their control of digital infrastructure
February 21, 2013 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released a decision today that could bring more affordable choices to Canada’s Internet service market. The decision responds to a grassroots movement of Canadians who believe big telecom companies have placed hidden fees on independent Internet service providers (ISPs) and made telecom bills more expensive for users across the country.
Overall, today’s CRTC decision appears to take small steps towards reining in those fees, bringing telecom costing closer
By OpenMedia.ca, on February 20, 2013, at 8:13 pm Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
read more
By Lindsey Pinto, on February 15, 2013, at 8:46 am HorrorStory_100x100-1_121016.jpg
Public interest group faced off against Big Three at week-long CRTC hearing
WHO: Lindsey Pinto, Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca
WHAT: Canadians are hopeful that a CRTC hearing this week will lead to the development of a Code of Conduct that ensures better deals for cell phones.
Public interest and consumer groups, academics, independent providers, and individuals appeared before the CRTC from Monday to Friday, pushing for measures that could safeguard against price-gouging and lead to more innovation and choice. However Canada’s “Big Three” telecom companies—Bell, Rogers, and Telus—which control nearly 94% of the market, also appeared, but were
By OpenMedia.ca, on February 14, 2013, at 12:15 pm
We did it! The Conservative government has killed online spying legislation Bill C-30! If passed, the bill would have provided access to your private online information without a warrant, and you would have had to pay for it.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced on Monday, “We will not be proceeding with Bill C-30 … We’ve listened to the concerns of Canadians who have been very clear on this.”1
It doesn’t get clearer than that. We’ve won, and it was you and nearly 150,000 other Canadians who made it happen with your signatures, comments, creativity, and your donations. Your team
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Looks like we won
By Lindsey Pinto, on February 5, 2013, at 1:05 pm OM_bigbox_300x250.png
WHAT: During an interview with CBC News Network host Evan Solomon, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson suggested that the government is working on a revised version to the controversial online spying legislation Bill C-30. When pressed on the online spying plan Nicholson said, “We’re looking at all aspects of that and when we have an announcement to make, we’ll make it.”
Internet freedom group OpenMedia.ca would like to see a simple and firm commitment to not put forward a plan that would permit authorities to access to private online information of law-abiding Canadians, at anytime, without a
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Media Advisory: Government suggests controversial online spying Bill C-30 may be in the works; OpenMedia.ca available for comment
By Lindsey Pinto, on January 28, 2013, at 6:06 am Squeeze_DemandChoice_200x200_130122.jpg
Rogers accused of taking over public assets intended for wireless startup companies
January 28, 2013 – Grassroots group OpenMedia.ca is warning that a “backroom deal” between telecom conglomerates Shaw Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. will lead to less choice—and higher prices—for Canadians’ mobile Internet and phone service. The group is calling on Canadians to push Industry Minister Christian Paradis to block the deal at http://DemandChoice.ca.
The deal, valued at $700-million, would allow Rogers to acquire Shaw’s public airwave licenses that were supposed to be set aside for new cell phone market entrants.
read more
By OpenMedia.ca, on January 24, 2013, at 1:35 pm Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
read more
By Lindsey Pinto, on January 17, 2013, at 2:13 pm 115.jpg
WHAT:
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has just released their annual status report on Complaints Related to Internet Traffic Management Practices. The report indicates that the number of complaints has risen: 75 complaints were received in 2012.
By contrast, in the reporting quarter ending Dec. 30, 2011, the CRTC received a total of 41 ITMP-related complaints, and total of 67 were received in the two-year period between Oct. 1, 2009 and Sept. 30, 2011.
OpenMedia.ca, a grassroots group that promotes an open and affordable Internet, has long decried the CRTC’s lack of enforcement of Canada’s
By OpenMedia.ca, on January 17, 2013, at 11:30 am Hello!
Here’s Lindsey with your update:
read more
By Steve Anderson, on January 14, 2013, at 8:34 am
Late last year I wrote a blog post about how media outfit Voltage Pictures was trying to force indie ISP Teksavvy to hand over the private information of certain Canadians who, it alleged, used the Internet to violate its copyright. The court case resumes today with a motion by Voltage Pictures to have TekSavvy disclose the subscriber names and contact addresses associated with a list of 2000 IP addresses.
Since Teksavvy broke this news, there has a been a lively online debate about the situation. Blogger and advocate Jason Koblovsky, for one, has vocally called for Teksavvy to do
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Update on Voltage’s “guilty by accusation” crusade
By OpenMedia.ca, on January 10, 2013, at 1:37 pm Hello and Happy New Year!
Here’s Lindsey with your first update of 2013:
read more
By OpenMedia.ca, on January 9, 2013, at 8:40 am
Members the pro-Internet community are busily working with OpenMedia staff to get active at a local level, and standing up for your privacy by amplifying voices from our StopSpying.ca campaign. It’s inspiring and it’s working.
In case you missed it, check out this amazing coverage, and keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming report-back from the West Vancouver Street Team.
Article by Todd Coyne for North Shore Outlook
Activists protesting the controversial Bill C-30 ‘Internet surveillance act’ descended on Conservative MP John Weston’s riding office in West Vancouver Monday, armed with hundreds of constituent signatures opposing the bill.
read
By OpenMedia.ca, on January 8, 2013, at 8:45 am
We know that online spying bill C-30 is invasive, costly, and poorly thought-out. In fact, so many of us made our voices heard through http://StopSpying.ca/ and more that we’ve so far prevented this warrantless spying scheme.
Now Canada’s Privacy Commissioner is working on a version of C-30 that would take our civil liberties into account. We don’t yet know whether this will be enough to make the online spying bill acceptable to Canadians – but for now, it’s clear we have to continue to stand against warrantless online spying. If you haven’t already, tell your MP to stand with
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Privacy Commissioner to try to rework the online spying bill
By Lindsey Pinto, on January 7, 2013, at 4:07 pm
Twitter is now blocking an account that parodies Rogers, likely due to a complaint from the telecom giant. The account made humourous but critical comments about Rogers’ cell phone price-gouging, poor customer service, and long-term contracts—issues that many Canadians are forced to deal with because of the lack of choice in our cell phone market. It’s precisely because of this lack of choice that Rogers can deal with this critique most easily by going after the account, rather than by making an effort to meet the reasonable expectations of its customers.
You can help make Canada’s cell phone market fairer
. . . → Read More: OpenMedia.ca: Twitter shuts down Rogers parody account
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