Dear Editor,

I am very concerned about the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is currently being negotiated without public input. Already over 120,000 have signed the Say No to Internet Censorship petition. I encourage everyone to learn more about TPP Internet Censorship before it’s too late by going to www.openmedia.org/censorship .

Experts have pointed out that, under the TPP, kids could be sent to jail for downloading and whole families could be kicked off the Internet. It would force Internet service providers (ISPs) to become Internet police and monitor Internet use, censor website content, and remove entire websites from view.

It would also hinder our ability to access information and would criminalize our everyday use of the Internet. As a concerned citizen, I am speaking out for a free and open Internet.

The TPP would limit accessibility for disabled people. Visually impaired or deaf people would be criminalized for circumventing digital locks on any digital materials they have purchased. This means they would be unable to convert them to braille, audio, or other accessible formats. I believe that the Internet should be open and accessible to everyone.

In addition, the TPP’s proposal to force ISPs to install costly and invasive surveillance equipment into their networks gravely worries me.

These added costs would drive up everyone’s Internet bills and could force smaller independent Internet providers out of business. I believe that Internet access is a right and should be kept open and affordable for everyone.

The TPP is another U.S.-backed deal that will undermine Canada’s national rules. When our rules were finalized in 2011, they were considered a victory for both creators and citizens — but the TPP could reverse the progress made by our elected decision-makers. The TPP includes many U.S.-backed provisions that would benefit outdated media conglomerates at the expense of our own well-balanced copyright.

I encourage each and every Canadian to learn more about the Trans Pacific Partnership at www.openmedia.org/censorship .

Margaret Laliotis

Invermere