Yearly Archives: 2012
The Danger of Fetishizing BlackBerry Messenger Security
In this post, I want to briefly address some of the BBM-related security concerns and try to (again) correct the record surrounding the security promises of the messaging service. After outlining the deficits of consumer BBM products I briefly argue that we need to avoid fetishizing technology, encryption, or the law, and should instead focus on the democratic implications of the lawful access-style laws that governments use to access citizens’ communications. Continue reading
The Danger Online Voting Poses to Democratic Legitimacy
In this post, I address some issues surrounding the NDP’s leadership election and link to an interview I gave to the Richard Brown Show surrounding security and legitimacy problems with online voting. Continue reading
Unpacking the Potential Costs of Bill C-30
I begin this post by quickly outlining what the Canadian government suggests that the legislation will cost. Having done so, I move to critique the origins of the government’s numbers. This entails first examining the issue of interception capabilities, second, of storage costs, and third, of the status of Telecommunication Service Providers’ existing lawful access capacities. I conclude by noting the lack of clarity surrounding C-30′s breadth and the need for clarity during the legislative, rather than regulation-setting, stage of the bill’s development. Continue reading
(Un)Lawful Access Panel at University of Victoria
The (Un)Lawful Access event takes place tomorrow (March 8, 2012) at the Fraser Building, room 157, on the University of Victoria Campus. It should be a really interesting discussion; Michael Vonn is one of the smartest people on lawful access in Canada, and I’ll be addressing some of the technical and international characteristics of lawful access legislation. All are welcome, and it will take place between 12:30-1:30pm. Continue reading
