Canadians Respond To Internet Spying Bill By 'Revealing All' To Politician Backing It

from the internet-memes-against-internet-regulation dept

Fri, Feb 17th 2012 2:12pm — Mike Masnick

We recently wrote about a new effort in Canada around "lawful access" (a nice way of saying internet spying by government). The really ridiculous part was that the Public Safety Minister pushing the bill, Vic Toews pulled out the ridiculous logical fallacy that anyone against the bill was "for child pornography." That, of course, is insane. But, because this is the internet, it responds as it does best, by creating a meme. Tons of people on Twitter are revealing all sorts of random information with Toews on Twitter using the hashtag #TellVicEverything. Apparently a bunch of people are leaving him voicemails as well. Watching the Twitter feed is fun, as you find out when people go to sleep, when they wake up and when they have trouble sleeping. Then there are some amusing confessional tweets, like the person who confesses using zucchini instead of meat in spaghetti sauce, or the person who admits to lying to a telemarketer when asked if he's "busy." Who knows if Toews will back down, but when you become a national joke, perhaps it's time to rethink your legislative strategy.

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Filed Under: canada, legal access, monitoring, spying, vic toews

33 Comments

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Josef Anvil (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:19pm

I'm for it...
If you look at the things I oppose, then Im going directly to hell...

It seems the politicians believe Im for terrorism, child porn, and rampant piracy.

Just because I want to watch The Big Bang Theory when I want to watch it.
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The eejit (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:23pm

Re: I'm for it...
Okay, that last is a big enough reason to lock you up. :p
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TheStupidOne, 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:27pm

Re: I'm for it...
Just so long as you aren't after Real Housewives ...
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Ninja (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:30pm

Considering that DOJ/ICE/FBI/TSA and the likes became the laughingstock of the internet for being total retards in many aspect and they are still at it... We can draw an obvious conclusion: Govt ppl like to act like clowns.

Short answer: mr TOEwS will not back down.
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TheStupidOne, 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:33pm

Me Too!
I'm just at work on a friday afternoon, streaming pirated TV on my phone while downloading encrypted child S&M pornography in the background #TellVicEverything #NoneOfTheAboveIsTrue #StillBetterIntelThanYoullGetFromSmartPeopleHidingTheirTracks
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Gothenem (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:40pm

I, being a Canadian, cannot stand this guy. He thinks that if I want to keep my right to privacy, guaranteed to me by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that I am essentially aiding and accepting child pornography in Canada.

This is rediculous in the extreme. To take away the rights of thirty million Canadians just to catch a few child pornographers? Especially when police have caught over 30 child pornographers in Canada over the last 2 years.

Vic Toews is a part of a problem in most developed countries. They are politicians who feel a need to take away our rights so they can "keep us safe" without ever really knowing how to do that.
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Drizzt, 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:44pm

@vikileaks30
There is also the other reaction: a Twitter account revealing embarrassing stuff about Mr. Toews (though some of that stuff might have been known prior?): @vikileaks30.
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:48pm

Precedent
Well, to point out parallels:
In the US Constitution the citizens are guaranteed the right to a speedy trial.
However, when they go to court the first thing they're required to waive prior to proceedings IS their right to a speedy trial.

Which is why you'll have people who've spent years in prison prior to their trial--literally "innocent" people being kept in prison for multiple years.
It's disgusting--reeks of the corruption in the system.
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adamj (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:53pm

Not sure how to contact Mike, but I thought this was an interesting article.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/justice/california-ice-shooting/index.html?hpt=ju_c2
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:55pm

Vic Toews might know a little to much about child pornography, evidently he knows where to find it. CREEPY
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 2:57pm

Re:
There's a link at the top, it says "submit story"
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Feb 2012 @ 3:16pm

Re: @vikileaks30
He of course wants to spend taxpayers dollars to investigate the release of said information which is already publicly available. He doesn't like people poking around in public information, maybe he'll stop and realize how hypocritical that is. Wait.. he won't. He's an idiot, I forgot for a second.
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Travicane, 17 Feb 2012 @ 3:25pm

Re: Creepy! - the picture of a dirty old man!
See the picture in the linked article:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1131446--conservative-bill-c-30-wi ll-let-police-spy-on-canadians-online?bn=1
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Feb 2012 @ 3:28pm

I think we need to create a similar feed for Lamar Smith's "Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act".

Oh, as a side note, my child has a classmate named Lamar Smith. Is it wrong to severely dislike this kid, despite the fact that I've never met him?
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 3:30pm

Now, to be fair, maybe Vic just wants to know which child pornographer stole his glowsticks.
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anonymous dutch coward, 17 Feb 2012 @ 3:35pm

world class
i think vic is a world class stand up comedian and deserves a lot more credit for his work than he gets.
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DOlz (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 4:03pm

Re:
"Vic Toews is a part of a problem in most developed countries."

Agreed

"They are politicians who feel a need to take away our rights so they can "keep us safe" without ever really knowing how to do that."

It has nothing to do we keeping us safe. It's all about controlling the masses.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Feb 2012 @ 4:05pm

Re:
Totally agree. My question is why hasn't anyone done it before? Does Lamar Smith (Mr. "I Can't Hear You", not your child's classmate) have any dirt that can be dished out?

More importantly, how is it that this idiot still has public support despite being one of the most nefarious enemies of the internet?
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Franklin G Ryzzo (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 4:30pm

Re:
It's unfortunate that his parents named him that, but yeah... you kinda have to hate him. Hopefully it will make him tough and honest.

Such is the plight of the boy named Sue :P
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TtfnJohn (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 5:03pm

There's a bit or irony in that they introduced the bill near Valentine's Day a day kids just love then attached it to kiddie porn.

Anyway, back to the leak, News reports say that they've tracked down the IP of the poster and it comes from an IP address in the House of Commons. Toews has asked the Speaker of the House to conduct and investigation into who it is or who it might be.

One way or another, you know, when you live your life in public people are going to find out things about your past even including a very nasty divorce. And that's what got spread all over Twitter.

Worse than the warrentless search itself is that Teows went back of the promise of his predecessor that such a thing would never happen.
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Andrew F (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 5:46pm

Re:
#TellLamarEverything?
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R.H. (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 8:02pm

Re: Re:
Unfortunately, I think that some poor uninformed politicians actually think that they ARE protecting us by taking away our freedoms. In fact I think that many of them start that way. However, the power will probably corrupt even the best of them....
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Feb 2012 @ 11:02pm

Re: Re: Re:
Toews is a minister. He knows you don't protect people by taking away their rights, he knows this leads to tyranny and dictatorship, which is much worse than a society where 1000 people download child porn.

He must be passing this law to control the masses. Once you know what people think, what they do and everything they say to each other, you can stop legal protests before they happen, you can shill and spread propaganda very effectively (you know exactly what will convince your strongest opponents), you can prevent the leaders of opponent groups from doing their job... the possibilities are endless, but they all come down to controlling society.

I'll die before I bend.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 17 Feb 2012 @ 11:37pm

Re:
http://boingboing.net/2012/02/17/newspaper-claims-vikileaks-twi.html

More interesting it is also appears the bill allows them to appoint inspectors who can just wander in and look at all the records whenever without a warrant or oversight.

http://boingboing.net/2012/02/17/canadas-spying-bill-also-all.html
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Al Bert (profile), 18 Feb 2012 @ 12:11am

Re: Re:
I'd tell him a few things.
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Rekrul, 18 Feb 2012 @ 1:53am

Re: Re: I'm for it...
The Big Bang Theory is hilarious!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Feb 2012 @ 1:58am

a person that is obviously so stupid he probably doesn't even realise that he is a laughing stock. the best way would be to reveal all about him, not just to him. see how he likes being under the spotlight 24/7!
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Hephaestus (profile), 18 Feb 2012 @ 10:38am

Re: Re: I'm for it...
Just the mention of Real Housewives reduces IQ. Please stop or collectively we will become as smart as the average troll.
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Anonymous, 18 Feb 2012 @ 11:36am

I'm hungry for some Cheese Pizza.
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Hephaestus (profile), 18 Feb 2012 @ 12:44pm

Re: Re: Re:
I wouldn't tell him anything, just make a couple rude suggestions.
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Pete Braven (profile), 19 Feb 2012 @ 4:58am

Internet Spying Bill??
Hang on a minute, there have already been many people arrested for what they post/download from the Internet. As several other less official bodies have proved, if you go on the net anywhere,the chances are someone is going to find out. Creating a 'bill' isn't going to start anything, it might actually make it harder for the Canadian govt. to use such evidence!
Being a politician does not require technical knowledge obviously!
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Mekhong Kurt (profile), 20 Feb 2012 @ 1:20am

Is Minister Teows former U.S. Co-President Dick Cheney's evil-as-Dick brother, or what???
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adamj (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:48am

Re: Re:
Oh ok hehe. Next time I will use my reading skillzors. :D
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