‘Headed to a bad place’

Dear Editor:

RE: ‘Threat to our privacy,’ Oct. 15.

I’m responding to the letter regarding Bill C22, the Lawful Access Act. I agree wholeheartedly with the writer.

I caution  all those who take the position that “if you’ve done nothing wrong” you have nothing to worry about. This is how laws are passed over and over that are overreaching. There are many more like it and I suspect even more coming.

When Bill C22 was being debated it was challenged on the writer’s points and on the basis of who will control the use of it. From the government’s side, the police all over Canada have asked for this. 

To the writer’s point about sharing information with foreign governments – that one, maybe to some people’s surprise, has been occurring for decades. 

With the expansion of AI, possible surveillance on street, no real accountability for law enforcement and less requirements for reasonable cause to collect information, we are headed to a bad place.

Don’t get me wrong, there are bad people, and if they are committing real crimes they should be dealt with, but not at the total expense of all people’s rights and freedoms. 

So no, we can’t just make it easier for police because if they had their way they would arrest all and sort it out later. For now we are supposed to be a rule-of-law democracy.

Doak McCraney,
Guelph