The UK in general and London in particular has a lot of surveillance cameras. I think the tourist shops should sell the little UFO-shaped ones with the dark glass dome that have "I <3 London" printed on them -- I would have bought one and stuck it on my office wall as a reminder of the trip.

Recently, Jennifer Stoddart, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, wrote a letter to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security with her initial analysis of bills C-46 and C-47. As a person who uses the internet, I encourage you to read her letter. She asks several important questions:

• In specific terms, how is the current regime of judicial authorization not meeting the needs of law enforcement and national security authorities in relation to the Internet?
• What law enforcement or national security duty justifies access without a warrant by authorities to personal information or preservation of private communication?
• Why are some of these powers unrestricted, when the spirit of Canadian law clearly reflects the view that access or seizure without court authorization should be exceptional?
• And finally, are the mechanisms for accountability commensurate to the unprecedented powers envisaged?

I interpret her questions as asking, "What specific reasons warrant changing existing laws in such an unprecedented way?". If you're Canadian, take a minute and write to your MP to ask them this question.