The head of the Ontario Provincial Police is re-affirming his support for Bill C-30.
Commissioner Chris Lewis remains one of Canada’s biggest supporters of the controversial Internet crime bill.
The recent increase in criminal activity involving fraud and the distribution of child pornography over the Internet prompted the development of this bill.
There has been a lot of criticism surrounding the bill and most of it has been towards the man who brought it forward — Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
Lewis tells Bayshore Broadcasting News that people are being led to believe that if the bill passes it will allow police in Canada to start monitoring email accounts and website searches at will and that is not the case.
He says it is not about finding out what people do while online.
He says all that they want is to get information for a police investigation and to obtain that information easily.
Lewis says certain privacy advocates are making the bill sound like it is a witch hunt.
He says that is also not the case.
Lewis says police can still get information like email addresses from internet service providers without a warrant.
He says this bill will allow police to get that information in a more timely manner and be more accountable with that information.
He says they will take appropriate measures against those who abuse accessing that information.
Lewis says people are letting the negative comments affect their view of this proposed legislation.
He says if people got the real message behind this bill they would support it 100 per cent.
