The neighborhood is the Internet, and the criminals have moved in. Some of the crimes, like obscenity, are familiar, but others have taken new forms, from information theft to the sabotage of computer systems with data-destroying viruses … New laws, says Liberal Member of Parliament Rey Pagtakhan, who is pushing for tighter control, will demonstrate that “we will not tolerate these types of activity.”
Predictor: Pagtakhan, Rey
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 Maclean’s Magazine article, “Crime in Cybercity” by Warren Caragata, presents the dark side of the Internet. The article includes an interview with Canadian Member of Parliament Rey Pagtakhan. Caragata writes: ÒThe neighborhood is the Internet, and the criminals have moved in. Some of the crimes, like obscenity, are familiar, but others have taken new forms, from information theft to the sabotage of computer systems with data-destroying viruses … New laws, says Liberal Member of Parliament Rey Pagtakhan, who is pushing for tighter control, will demonstrate that ‘we will not tolerate these types of activity’ … Pagtakhan, a soft-spoken Winnipeg pediatrician, told Maclean’s that the hate messages he has seen have been Ôvery scaryÕ and would have a hurtful effect on young children. While he acknowledges enforcement would not be easy, he says that is not the point: ÔTo any degree we can, we have to confront this.Õ The government, Pagtakhan believes, will move quickly to set up new rules. The reason for his optimism lies in remarks by Justice Minister Allan Rock – made over the Internet – suggesting that Ottawa was on the verge of action.Ó
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Crime/Fraud/Terrorism
Name of publication: Maclean's Magazine
Title, headline, chapter name: Crime in Cybercity
Quote Type: Partial quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
gopher://insight.mcmaster.ca/00/org/efc/media/macleans.22may95a
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne