Vancouver – The B.C. Civil Liberties Associations (BCCLA) will hold a press conference Friday, March 18, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. to comment on the Federal government’s “lawful access” proposal.

On March 15, 2005, federal government representatives met in Vancouver with a group of lawyers, telecommunications service providers and privacy advocates to present proposed legislative amendments that would require telecommunications service providers to provide interception capabilities to the police and CSIS and that would allow police to access subscriber information without a warrant.

Ostensibly for purposes of “updating” the Criminal Code to keep pace with changing technology, the proposal incorporates changes to Canadian law that are unprecedented in their impact on privacy and the way the government conducts surveillance.