Free Speech and Privacy in the Information Age

Symposium
University of Waterloo
Davis Centre, 200 University Ave West
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada

Saturday, November 26, 1994

RATIONALE:

 RATIONALE: The "information superhighway" will have a profound effect on our lives and the way we communicate in the 21st century. But how will it transform and be transformed by our understanding of traditional freedoms, such as free speech and privacy?

This one-day symposium is intended to address the ethical, philosophical, and legal implications of the Internet and related communications technologies. Expert speakers from industry, academia, government, and the legal profession will discuss free speech and privacy in the information age. A wide spectrum of opinion will be represented.

The symposium will host a poster session for contributed papers; see below for submission information. During the symposium, there will also be demonstrations, conducted by University library staff, of the Internet and its applications as a research and communications tool.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM:
8:00 - 9:00 am Registration, coffee, and doughnuts
Internet demonstration by library staff
9:00 AM Opening and Official Welcome
Professor HARRIET LYONS, University of Waterloo, Introductory Remarks
Professor JEFFREY SHALLIT, University of Waterloo, Introductory Remarks .
9:10 am
Professor JAY WESTON, Carleton University and the Ottawa Freenet: "Old Freedoms and New Technologies: The Evolution of Community Networking" .
9:50 am
Professor URSULA M. FRANKLIN, FRSC, Massey College, University of Toronto: "Global Gossip, Homeless Information, and the Notion of Public Health".
10:45 am Break
11:00 am
HENRY SPENCER, SP Systems and University of Toronto: "Computer System Administration in an Age of Uncontrolled Information Flow" .
11:40 am
Professor GAILE POHLHAUS, Women's Studies and Theology and Religious Studies, Villanova University: "The Use of the Internet as a Vehicle for Pornography -- Do We Really Care?"
12:20 pm Lunch
Internet demonstration by library staff
2:10 pm
[Keynote Address] The Honourable Mr. Justice JOHN SOPINKA, Canadian Supreme Court: "Freedom of Speech and the Protection of Privacy under the *Charter* in the Information Age" .
3:05 pm
Professor MARGARET ANN WILKINSON, Faculty of Law and Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Western Ontario: "Perceptual Differences in Approaches to Censorship: Information Intermediaries and the Implementation of Law".
3:45 pm Break
4:00 pm
PARKER BARSS DONHAM, Reader's Digest Staff Writer, Halifax Daily News Political Columnist, and CBC Political Panellist, Nova Scotia: "A Free and Unshackled Internet -- If Joseph Howe Were Designing Cyberspace" .
4:40 pm
Professor Emeritus THELMA McCORMACK, Department of Sociology, York University: "Must We Buy Into Technological Determinism?"
5:20 pm
Dr. ANN CAVOUKIAN, Assistant Commissioner, Ontario Information and Privacy Commission: "Privacy on the Information Highway: Fact or Fiction?"
5:50 pm Closing Remarks

CALL FOR PAPERS:

 There will be a poster session for contributed papers. Contributed papers should be no more than 10 pages in length, and on a topic relevant to the symposium's theme. Submit contributed papers BEFORE October 31, 1994 to: 
	Free Speech and Privacy Symposium
	c/o Prof. Jeffrey Shallit
	Department of Computer Science
	University of Waterloo
	Waterloo, Ontario  N2L 3G1 Canada
You will be notified of the decision by telephone, fax, or electronic mail.

SPONSORSHIP:

 The symposium is being sponsored by the Institute for Computer Research, University of Waterloo; the Department of Computer Science, University of Waterloo; the Dean of the Arts Faculty, University of Waterloo; and Electronic Frontier Canada.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:

GETTING THERE:

 The symposium will be held at the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario.

Waterloo is approximately 80 minutes west of Toronto, Ontario, and is accessible from Toronto via car, airport limousine, bus, and rail.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Toronto. Airways Transit limousine serves the Waterloo area from Toronto airport. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance by calling [519] 886-2121. The regular one-way fare is $43. There is a special symposium fare of $23 one-way; specify the "Free Speech Symposium" when making reservations, and be sure to have complete flight information ready when you call.

By Car:
From Detroit/Windsor/London: take Highway 401 east. [*] Exit at Route 8 west. Follow Route 8 to Route 7 east. Take Route 7 to 86 North, and exit at University Avenue West. Follow University Avenue approximately 3 km to the main entrance of the University [200 University Ave. West].

From Toronto: take Highway 401 west, and follow the directions beginning with [*] above.

From Buffalo: take the QEW to Highway 403 West. Exit the 403 at Highway 6 North. Take Highway 6 North to the 401 West, and follow the directions beginning with [*] above.

By Bus:
From Toronto: Kitchener is served by Greyhound Bus Service; about 10 buses a day, each direction. For schedule information, call [800] 661-8747.

From London: Kitchener is served by Cha-co Trails; about 3 buses a day, each direction. For schedule information, call [800] 265-9460.

Once at the Kitchener bus terminal, Kitchener Transit runs buses every 10-30 minutes to the University of Waterloo. Take buses 7D or 8B from the terminal. Travel time is approximately 25 minutes.

By Rail:
VIA rail has infrequent service to Kitchener from Chicago/London and Toronto. For schedule information, contact them at [800] 361-1235 [Ontario only].

ACCOMMODATIONS:

 Symposium attendees should make their own hotel reservations.

The Waterloo Inn [475 King St. North, Waterloo] has reserved a block of rooms for the symposium until October 26, at the special symposium rate of $70 [CDN] for a single room and $76 for a double room. Contact them at [519] 884-0220, and specify the "block ID Free100".

Other hotels/motels reasonably near the Waterloo campus include:

REGISTRATION:

 Registration fees: 
		Before October 31   	After October 31
Student		CDN $20 / US $16        CDN $30 / US $24
General		CDN $75 / US $60        CDN $90 / US $72
Registration fee includes admission to all sessions, Internet demonstration, lunch, two coffee breaks, copies of printed material, and GST. [GST No. = R119260685]

If paying by cheque, please make cheque out to "University of Waterloo", payable in either US or Canadian Funds, and mail to: 

	"Free Speech and Privacy Symposium"
	c/o Wendy Rush
	Department of Computer Science
	University of Waterloo
	Waterloo, Ontario  N2L 3G1
	Canada
You can also use a credit card. Please provide the following information: 
Card name [Visa, Mastercard, or American Express]:
Card number:
Expiry date:
Amount [Specify in Canadian dollars ONLY]:
Cardholder's Name [please print]:

Cardholder's Signature: ___________________________________________



Last Name:   ____________________   First Name: ___________________

Organization:  ____________________________________________________

Address:       ____________________________________________________

City:   ___________________    Province/State:   __________________

Postal Code: _______________   Country:   _________________________

Phone: _____________________   Fax:    ____________________________

E-mail: ___________________________________________________________

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

 Contact Wendy Rush at [519] 885-1211 ext. 3688, or Jeffrey Shallit at [519] 888-4804. Fax inquiries can be sent to [519] 885-1208. E-mail inquiries can be sent to: 
	[email protected]
On the Internet, you can get a copy of this program by typing: 
	finger [email protected]