Opponents of the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act are declaring the bill a violation of their privacy rights--warning against the dangers of new surveillance and misuse of information--but police and Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews say it will help solve crimes. Recent comments by Toews suggesting he was unclear about the scope of the bill have him seeking clarification and opponents calling for the bill's withdrawal, and other remarks by Toews, implying that opponents of the bill are siding with criminals, are also causing a backlash. Meanwhile, others opine that privacy is a "dying memory," saying it is "foolish" to believe our data "would or even could ever be truly private." But Michael Geist writes for the Ottawa Citizen that in order to pass any online privacy bill, the "us-versus-them rhetoric" must end.
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