This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
Canada: 
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In its latest report, watchdog of Canada’s spy agency has mentioned that since Canada is now experiencing “levels of espionage comparable to the height of the Cold War” CSIS needs to beef up its efforts to protect the Arctic. The annual report of The Security Intelligence Review Committee has determined that national security concerns in the Far North are multiplying. The report says that “one initial initiative would be for CSIS to conduct an internal study on establishing a long-term operational strategy for Canada’s North, paralleling sound efforts undertaken prior to the service’s expansion overseas.”
Overall, the report makes a total of 11 recommendations, highlighting concerns regarding cooperation between CSIS with Communications Security Establishment Canada. CSEC is Canada’s cryptologic agency tasked to protect the government’s electronic information along with collection of any foreign signals intelligence. According to CSEC, it has observed a recent increase in media scrutiny over how it intercepts communications from around the world.
SIRC pointed out Canadian spies share information with CSEC, which is not overseeing how much of this information is shared that with Canada’s “Five Eyes” partners in the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The report says that “SIRC recommends that CSIS develop clearer and more robust overarching principles of co-operation with CSEC.” It highlights that “the risk to CSIS…is the ability of a Five Eyes partner to act independently on CSIS-originated information.” The report concludes that “this, in turn, carries the possible risk of detention or harm of a target based on information that originated with CSIS.”
Data given by Edward Snowden let the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association believe the Communications Security Establishment Canada spying on Canadian citizens is a threat for democratic liberties. In its last report before leaving offices, the Communications Security Establishment Commissioner, Honourable Robert Décary, also asserts that CSEC could have taken Canadians for target last year. A more detailed inquiry shows that the CSEC collects since 2005 Canadians phone calls, e-mails, text messages and Internet information. A 2011 ministerial directives renewed its right to handle these data. According to an ex deputy director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Ray Boisvert, it is highly possible that CSEC could also have handle information of innocent Canadians. So, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association prosecuted CSEC for violating the Charter of Rights by intercepting Canadians’ private communications.
This spying occurs without the knowledge of Canadian citizens because Ottawa stopped in 2012 revealing CSEC annual priorities. Formerly a branch of the Defence ministry, this body became an autonomous agency, which reports directly to the Minister. Details surrounding the mission, which were previously public, are now classified secrets.
One big problem about this situation is that CSEC have to give CSIS, the RCMP and other police forces sensitive information. Security Intelligence Review Committee 2012-2013 Annual Report: “Brcomment_IDging the Gap: Recalibrating the Machinery of Security Intelligence and Intelligence Review”, found that a significant risk of closer collaboration between CSIS and CSEC was the potential erosion of control over information. Do we have to wcomment_IDen to other Canadian intelligence agencies the pursuit against CSEC because they can also have access to information, which could be a threat for citizens’ democratic liberties?