MacKay defends cyberbullying bill’s reach, denies undue erosion of privacy

OTTAWA – The federal justice minister denies the government’s new cyberbullying bill will do an end-run around legitimate Internet privacy protections.

MacKay stresses that permission of a judge will be needed to exercise the new police powers in the legislation.

The bill makes it illegal to distribute “intimate images” without consent and easier to get such pictures removed from the Internet.

But the legislation also updates production orders and warrants to mesh with today’s advanced telecommunications world.

It would also give police new tools to track and trace telecommunications to determine their origin or destination.

However, the government insists none of the updates of investigative powers would allow access to data or subscriber information without prior judicial approval.