September 18, 2011

PSA: Open Media’s Stop Online Spying Campaign

Stop Online Spying is a campaign that aims to let people know about the Canadian government’s plan to give the police more access to people’s online history.

Open Media, the organization behind the campaign, just released three public service announcements to support this campaign. They’re hoping that the videos will help get more people to sign the Stop Online Spying petition.

The videos do not have the best production, but they do effectively deliver the message. The ironic and straightforward script allow regular folks (who otherwise wouldn’t care) to understand the issue. There’s a little bit of fear appeal used here, but the videos are more funny than they are scary.

But of course, just like most PSAs, the videos are a bit one-sided and probably do not capture the complexity of the issue. That said, it’s a good first step in engaging people in this issue, and hopefully everyone will try to find out more after seeing the videos.

According to a recent survey, 8 in 10 Canadians oppose internet surveillance. But with a Conservative majority in power right now, who knows if they’ll listen to the people. Campaigns such as this should put some pressure on the federal government to at least re-consider.

Check out the videos below and visit stopspying.ca for more info.