David Christopher

How community broadband can deliver faster, cheaper Internet for all Canadians

rabble staff — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 20:32:49 +0000

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Unreliable service. Slow speeds. Appalling customer mistreatment. And some of the highest prices in the industrialized world. It's no wonder Canadians are fed up with the stranglehold that a handful of giant conglomerates exert over our telecom market.

With so little competition, Big Telecom has long been able to keep prices high without fear of customers jumping ship to a more affordable alternative. But that could be about to change. A landmark ruling from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has thrown the door open for communities across Canada to take their digital future into their own hands.

A landmark ruling from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has thrown the door open for communities across Canada to take their digital future into their own hands.

Top 10 ways you helped save the Internet in 2016

OpenMedia.ca — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:56:04 +0000

Happy 2017, everyone! Here at OpenMedia, our office has that familiar hum again, as our team arrive back from holiday vacations re-energized and up to tackle the challenges of the new year. I know we all really appreciated the chance for some downtime after a hectic December rounded off an especially busy year for us.

Already it's clear that 2017 has lots in store -- on privacy, affordable access, and free expression it's shaping up to be a make or break year for our digital rights. As a community, we'll need to pull out all the stops over the next twelve months to safeguard the free and open Internet we hold dear.

Why 2017 will be a make-or-break year for Internet freedom

rabble staff — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 18:16:57 +0000

Monday, January 2, 2017

2017 is here, and it's clear it will be a make-or-break year for Internet freedom. Around the world, our digital rights are under threat as never before. Let's take a look at some of the big challenges ahead.

In Canada, the federal government will soon be publishing its response to the national security consultation that closed in December. It's abundantly clear that Canadians want the government to repeal Bill C-51 and deliver strong privacy rules to make us safe -- but will the government listen, especially against the backdrop of a full-on RCMP propaganda campaign calling for even more invasive spy powers?

2017 is here, and it's clear it will be a make-or-break year for Internet freedom. Let's take a look at some of the big challenges ahead.

Trump's election should prompt Canada to rethink its complicity with U.S. mass surveillance

rabble staff — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 14:12:06 +0000

Thursday, December 1, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump. It's still a phrase that takes some getting used to. Trump's pronouncements on issues of online privacy, surveillance and net neutrality -- among many other topics -- should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who cares about preserving basic democratic freedoms in a digital age.

For Canadians these concerns strike particularly close to home. Already, federal government ministers are grappling with the implications of the impending Trump presidency and, for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, these implications are especially profound.

With Donald Trump's ascension to power imminent, Canada cannot afford to continue allowing government agencies to routinely hand over our private information to the U.S. government.

Is the government about to make the Internet even more expensive for all Canadians?

rabble staff — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:40:00 +0000

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

At OpenMedia, we cover a wide range of digital rights issues, and so we've really seen the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly when it comes to policy proposals over the years. And this one's a doozy: Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly is considering adding a new ISP tax to the monthly bills of Canada's Internet subscribers.

This new tax will make Internet access even more expensive, despite the fact that Canadians already pay among the highest prices in the industrialized world for this basic necessity. Indeed, fees are already so high that 44 per cent of low-income households do not have a home Internet connection, leaving vast numbers of Canadians excluded from our digital endowment.

Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly is considering adding a new ISP tax to the monthly bills of Canada's Internet subscribers, which will make Internet access even more expensive.

Here's how we can repeal Bill C-51 and win strong privacy rules to keep us safe

OpenMedia.ca — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 19:27:43 +0000

It's here! We've just launched a powerful, one-of-a-kind tool to get your voices on the public record opposing Bill C-51, and in favour of strong privacy rules for Canadians, as part of the government's national security consultation.

You can check out our tool right now at SaveOurSecurity.ca.

It's really important that we get as many people as humanly possible to make their voices heard on this. Over recent years, we've all been witness to an unending stream of revelations about how the privacy of law-abiding Canadians is being eroded by the government.

Despite flaws, the government's consultation finally gives us a real chance to repeal Bill C-51

rabble staff — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 12:22:40 +0000

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

It's here. Almost a year into their mandate, the Liberal government has finally launched its long-awaited public consultation on Bill C-51, and a broad range of privacy and national security issues.

Speaking at the launch, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said they had already identified a limited number of areas of Bill C-51 they wanted changed, and that they wanted to get Canadians' views on how to deal with the rest of the unpopular legislation.

It's here. The Liberal government has finally launched its long-awaited public consultation on Bill C-51, and a broad range of privacy and national security issues.

Publishing giants just hurt the right to link in a disappointing court ruling. Will the EU Commission follow suit?

OpenMedia.ca — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 21:37:06 +0000

In a closely watched decision, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on September 8 that the mere act of linking to copyrighted content can in and of itself be a breach of copyright. The decision went against the advice of the CJEU's own advocate general, who stated earlier this year that the act of linking should not be illegal.

National security consultation opens door to repealing Bill C-51 but framing of issues raises concerns

OpenMedia.ca — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 21:41:21 +0000

After over 18 months of campaigning, it looks like Canadians finally have a chance to repeal Bill C-51. On September 8, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould launched a wide-ranging public consultation on C-51 and other privacy and security issues.

However, advocates are expressing concerns about the wording of the consultation, which appears far more focused on addressing the concerns of the police rather than the needs of the public. Questions have also been raised about whether the government will actually follow through and repeal Bill C-51 when Canadians tell it that's what they want.

Quebec's Bill 74 puts us all on a slippery slope toward Internet censorship

rabble staff — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:58:35 +0000

Thursday, September 1, 2016

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Internet censorship. Website block lists. Stiff financial penalties for Internet providers who allow their customers to view sites forbidden by the government. This may the stuff of day-to-day life in authoritarian regimes, but it's certainly not the sort of thing you'd expect to see here in Canada.

Internet censorship. Website block lists. An extreme new law recently passed in Quebec means all of this could soon be the reality right here at home.

Our last, best chance to restore our rights and repeal Bill C-51

rabble staff — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 19:00:26 +0000

Monday, August 1, 2016

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This is it, folks. Eighteen months after it was first introduced, and over a year since it was forced through Parliament by the Harper government, Canadians will soon have a chance to finally overturn Bill C-51.

This is it, folks. Over a year since it was forced through Parliament by the Harper government, Canadians will soon have a chance to finally overturn Bill C-51.

We can finally put an end to data caps -- but will the CRTC listen?

rabble staff — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 21:55:35 +0000

Friday, July 1, 2016

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"You have used 100% of your monthly data allocation. Additional charges will apply" -- there's probably not an Internet user out there who hasn't grimaced upon receiving a message like this from their telecom provider. Sadly, mean-spirited data caps, accompanied by extortionate overage fees, have long been one of the most reviled features of our broken telecom market.

The CRTC recently announced a public consultation that represents the best chance in decades to finally give Canadians relief from oppressive data caps.

After big win over Bell, what's next for Canada's telecom market?

rabble staff — Wed, 25 May 2016 20:00:53 +0000

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

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As wins go, this one was a doozy.

Following months of debate, all eyes were on Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains as he weighed whether or not to give Bell, and a tiny handful of other telecom behemoths, an effective monopoly over fibre Internet services in Canada.

All eyes were on Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains as he weighed whether to give Bell an effective monopoly over fibre Internet services in Canada. It was a landmark decision with big implications.

All Canadians deserve affordable, high-speed Internet. Because it's 2016.

rabble staff — Sun, 01 May 2016 19:45:17 +0000

Monday, May 2, 2016

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"It's too expensive." "It's too slow." "I can't get a reliable connection." All common responses from Canadians when you ask what they think about their Internet service. At OpenMedia, not a day goes by without our getting emails, social media messages, and phone calls from Canadians unhappy with the state of their Internet.

We can either continue letting our market be regulated by high-cost telecom, or we can take action to ensure that all Canadians can participate in the social and economic benefits of the Internet.

Adopting U.K. model won't be enough for Canada to address spy oversight woes

OpenMedia.ca — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:40:40 +0000

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