Commentary
Having governments spy on citizens is a great way to reduce crime! Consider how many more criminals would have been caught over the past century if only police had been able to listen in on citizens’ telephone conversations. How many violent terrorist plots, mass shootings, and child kidnappings would have been prevented in recent decades if only the government could have monitored all of our emails, texts, and cellphones?
So why do Canadians—and citizens of other democracies around the world—cherish privacy in the first place? If a man has nothing to hide, why would he care if the authorities read his mail, texts, and emails? Why object to police keeping track of who a woman associates with, and when and where she meets up with her friends? Why does Section 8 of the Charter expressly set out the right of Canadians to be free from unreasonable search and seizure?…