OTTAWA - The Tory government has re-introduced a pair of bills aimed at helping police fight crime online.
The legislation would require Internet service providers to make it possible for police and intelligence officers to intercept online communications and get personal information about subscribers.
It would also require them to temporarily store suspect data while police seek a warrant.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says the legislation simply updates laws to deal with the reality of crime in cyber space.
He says the changes will help police act against Internet child sexual exploitation, on-line organized crime activity and terrorism.
The legislation would also make it illegal to possess a computer virus for the purposes of committing a of mischief.
The minister says the proposals simply give police the tools they need.
"Twenty-first century technology calls for 21st-century tools."
He said the legislation balances privacy rights against the need to protect people from crime. The bills died in 2009 when Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament.
