Public Safety Minister Vic Toews' right as a parliamentarian to do his job free from intimidation and threats was violated by a series of online videos, a Commons committee has concluded, but it won't be Parliament that seeks the identity of the minister's antagonist. Instead, the RCMP will continue to digitally track the person or people behind the videos, posted by the online hacker community known as Anonymous in the wake of the government's tabling of its controversial online surveillance bill.

But the committee included a warning to parliamentarians in its report released Wednesday: don't think this won't happen again. "The threats made against (Toews) were unprecedented in the medium that was used," the committee wrote in its report. "There is reason to believe, however, that modern communication technology could be employed again in the future to anonymously direct threats at (politicians), or may be used in other insidious, as-of-yet unforeseen ways."

The procedure and House affairs committee did not entirely close the door on using parliamentary resources to hunt down the Anonymous posters, but said it would only do so if there was enough evidence to warrant it. Some Conservatives on the committee had wanted a digital hunt, but were warned by parliamentary security staff that it would be virtually impossible to determine who had posted the videos.

"When the identity of the person or persons hidden behind the mask becomes known to this committee, they will be called before the committee to answer for their behaviour and, if appropriate, the committee will recommend sanctions," the report said.

The four videos posted online by Anonymous took aim at Toews in late February after he tabled Bill C-30, the online surveillance bill. Among the more controversial measures in the bill, Internet service providers would have to provide police with an IP address without a warrant in exceptional circumstances, and providers also would have to set up tracking systems to log Internet usage.

An online backlash ensued, with users attacking what they argued was the government's attempt to access personal information without court approval.

The Anonymous videos released personal information about Toews, and threatened more embarrassing revelations unless Toews withdrew C-30. Subsequent videos also called for his resignation and sent warnings to other MPs who supported the bill that they, too, could be targeted in future videos.

"The tone, anonymous character and signature of these videos add, rather than mitigate, to their threatening nature," the committee wrote. "They were clearly aimed at intimidating (Toews) and all members of this House." The committee noted that freedom of expression online is a guaranteed right in Canada under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but the charter "affords no protection for threats or cyber-bullying."

"Without question, the Internet is an essential communication medium. Open and democratic, it allows the public to participate in the policy debate in real-time," the report said. "The people behind those videos claim to act to protect basic democratic rights and freedoms, but they themselves have jeopardized and breached these same rights and freedoms they claim to protect."

The videos were related to one of two questions of privilege Toews had about the online backlash to C-30. The other was in regard to a rogue Twitter account called VikiLeaks30. The author of that account, former Liberal staffer Adam Carroll, appeared before the ethics committee last month to answer questions about his Twitter use. The ethics committee has yet to release its findings in that case.