The Act was intended to address the problem of cyberbullying, which had received a high profile from the cases involving the deaths of Rehtaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd.
[2] It incorporated recommendations concerning cyberbullying and the distribution of intimate images that were made in 2013[3] to federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for public safety.
[15] If passed, Bill C-30 would have granted law enforcement and security intelligence agencies with expanded surveillance powers, mandated internet service providers (ISPs) to disclose Canadian subscriber information (such as metadata) without a warrant and compelled ISPs to reveal information transmitted over their networks without a warrant or judicial oversight.
When criticized by Members of Parliament about privacy concerns and civil liberty issues, Vic Toews responded that Canadians "can either stand with us or with the child pornographers" on February 13, 2012.
[16] The next day, on February 14, 2012, Vic Toews appeared on national television on CTV News and denied that he ever made these comments, calling it "a far crime from that".
[17] In protest against Toews, the hacktivist collective Anonymous targeted him, revealing that he was having an affair, to highlight the dangers of anyone having warrantless access to Canadians' digital lives.