The BCCLA is the oldest and most active civil liberties association in Canada. With a mandate that includes work on police accountability, government transparency, voting rights, prisoners’ rights, national security issues and much more, we are one of the most vibrant and visible advocacy groups in Canada. The BCCLA is a small team with a big reach, working across a broad range of issues. We work in four program areas: public education, policy and research, direct assistance to individuals, and litigation in Canadian courts.
We believe that big data surveillance is a leading 21st century civil liberties and human rights issue. Big data is more than just ‘more data’. It is unprecedented amounts of data, linked and analyzed in ways never before imagined. This affects us in everything from apps claiming to determine credit ratings based on our Facebook friends to ‘risk scoring’ for national security purposes. The implications for individuals’ rights are vast. Not only is big data a massive threat to privacy, but decision-by-algorithm affects due process rights, and can even threaten equality rights when prejudicial stereotyping is part of analytical processes. We are delighted to be working with academic and civil society partners on this multi-year, international research project.
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada