A Canada Supreme Court ruling last week that text messages are private communication and will require a wiretap order to access, rather than the more easily obtained search warrant, is another step in the right direction for what is already a strong privacy regime that other countries should envy. From now on, Canadian police need special wiretap orders to  intercept cellphone text messages as part of criminal investigations.

Robust Privacy Laws

When it comes to digital privacy, Canada has a reputation for being among the most secure countries in the world for data storage and has made some more great strides recently. I wrote about a proposed crime bill last year that had the potential to erode the rights of individuals to have their online communication protected. The controversial online surveillance bill, C-30, was scrapped in February, after facing fierce opposition.

Critics of bill C-30 said it was an overly broad, "Big Brother" piece of legislation that would strip all Canadians of the right to privacy. The bill would have required internet service providers to maintain systems to allow police to intercept and track online communications without a warrant.

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The scrapping of C-30 and this latest wiretap ruling show that the country recognizes the changing digital environment and the dangers that it poses for breaches of the privacy rights of individuals.

Canada's justice system should continue to err on the side of caution when it comes to privacy laws. It's one of the major advantages this country has over our neighbors to the south when it comes to data security and individual rights.

See more on the wiretap ruling below: