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Canadian Police Recommend Ending Anonymity On the Internet

Posted by samzenpus on from the sign-in dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Michael Geist reports that last week the Ontario Provincial Police, one of Canada's largest police forces, recommended legally ending anonymity on the Internet. Noting the need for drivers licenses to drive or marriage licenses to get married, the police suggested that an Internet license that would reveal all users is needed to address online crime. The Canadian Supreme Court strongly endorsed a right to anonymity earlier this year."

14 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. ROFL by kuzb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah, good luck with that one, RCMP! it's like law enforcement lives inside of it's own little reality distortion bubble.

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    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    1. Re:ROFL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This was the Ontario provincial police and not the RCMP.

      I doubt this will go anywhere. This appears to be a statement made by someone with no grasp of the technical issues being blown way out of proportion.

    2. Re: ROFL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      People who post anonymously are cowards.

    3. Re:ROFL by The+Ickle+Jones · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We need to give up all of our rights in order to make the jobs of cops easier. How about we let the government install surveillance equipment in everyone's homes and allow them to break into anyone's house for any reason? After all, freedom is less important than safety.

      Now we're thinking Small!

    4. Re:ROFL by khasim · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Fascism begins when the efficiency of the Government becomes more important than the Rights of the People.

      There are a lot of people out there who would like the world to be a bit more orderly. Even if there is a bit less freedom. As long as they're still at the top.

      Think of all the dictatorships and such that would love to be able to lock down the Internet like that. With the support of those Canadian politicians and police.

    5. Re:ROFL by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sounds to me like it's a statement by someone that doesn't understand...

      Historically, police have ALWAYS said this. "We have to restrict people's freedoms or criminals will get away." It has been the endless chant of law enforcement, and when legislators somehow get the idea it is correct, invariably freedoms are restricted or infringed.

      But of course it's nonsense. Look where that kind of attitude has brought us: not just more total people but more people per capita in prison than any other country in the civilized world (and even including places many of use would not count as civilized).

      History shows very clearly that freer societies do better in every measurable way: health, longevity, economy, etc. etc. Police states have invariably led to the downfall of the culture.

  2. Licenses That Are Missing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    1) License to speak in public
    2) License to read a specific book
    3) License to speak to a specific person

  3. Let Me Just Get My Mail License by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You know, the license we've needed for 200 years? The one that lets you anonymously send mail? Oh that doesn't exist? And people coped with this new technology? Even when it was used to deliver literal bombs? But of course we need one for the internet!

  4. Reading comprehension check by Calavar · · Score: 4, Informative

    TFS said it was the Ontario Provincial Police that gave the recommendation, not the RCMP.

  5. Tsk tsk. by blueshift_1 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I feel like the drivers and marriage licenses are not that relevant here. A drivers license is mainly used to show that are at least reasonably competant drivers (though we all know that doesn't mean that much) and a marriage license is more of a way to formalize the legal agreement so that you can file taxes and whatnot as married. The internet is a tool of communication and you can definitely use a pay phone, send a letter, or even buy cellphone without a license of any sort. Just have the cash and pay for the service. Just looking for the easy button on determining who did what on the internet.

    and on a side note, the US uses marriage licenses/laws (in some states) to limit who can get it. Imagine the damage this could cause with the government limited who could use the internet... like dangling fruit over our head to make sure were good little kiddies and never did anything bad on the net.

  6. Luckily most of Canada ignores Ontario by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And, for that matter, Communication is a Federal responsibility under the Canadian Constitution, which has strong privacy rights that the Ontario Police and the PM hate.

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    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  7. Strongly endorse by gurps_npc · · Score: 4, Funny
    So, the cops - an organization that's job is in large part to identify criminals - endorse finding out people's names.

    Similarly, I strongly endorse the idea of supermodels having sex with me.

    I think that both of have just as much right to expect the laws to change to suit our desires.

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    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  8. The REAL issue here.. by MagickalMyst · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The real issue has nothing to do with anonymity; it has to do with police being properly trained.

    Our society is degenerating to the point where the police are no longer the noble, chivalric knights that they were once intended to be. Proper police training is quite lacking and is on a continual downward slide, and many people no longer have respect for the boys in blue.

    Too many cops in Canada are racist, egotistical power-trippers with a badge and a gun.

    Law Enforcement should be more concerned with setting the right example by doing the right thing.

    Police are supposed to be there "to serve and protect society", although the last word is strangely omitted on the police cars.

    "To serve and protect" is ambiguous; it begs the question "who are you serving and what are you protecting?"

    It should be obvious, but modern police behaviour would suggest otherwise.

    Perhaps the first thing to do is to fix the writing on the wall, so to speak.

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    Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
  9. Buried the lede: SENATOR agrees by Maow · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Ontario Provincial Police was part of the law enforcement panel and was asked by Senator Tom McInnis, a Conservative Senator from Nova Scotia, about what other laws are needed to address cyberbullying.

    That's when Scott Naylor of the OPP gave the response outlined in TFS.

    Of course, the Ontario Provincial Police have little influence nation-wide.

    A Conservative senator, on the other hand, does.

    Naylor’s comment was approved by Senator McInnis, who stated that he “absolutely agreed” with the recommendation.

    Of course, the Supreme Court of Canada sides with anonymity on-line. But Senators and MPs have the ability to (attempt to) pass legislation that would attempt this lunatic idea.