Canada's intelligence gathering agency Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) admits it may have 'incidentally' intercepted the communications of Canadians.
Photo Credit: Communications Security Establishment Canada

Intelligence agency CSEC admits Canadians’ communications ‘incidentally’ intercepted

Canada’s intelligence gathering agency, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) has admitted on its website: “we may incidentally intercept Canadian communications or information” but adds CSEC “takes steps to protect the privacy of that information”.

On its website, on the page outlining its “Foreign signals intelligence”, CSEC (also sometimes known as CSE) explains that “CSE’s signals intelligence mandate and operations are clearly and carefully targeted, by law, to the activities of foreign individuals, states, organizations or terrorist groups that have implications for Canada’s international affairs, defence or security.”

It underlines that it is “against the law for CSE to target Canadians anywhere, or anyone in Canada. We also can’t ask our allies to do anything on our behalf that is not legal for us to do.”

But later it concedes that “in the course of targeting foreign entities outside Canada in an interconnected and highly networked world, it is possible that we may incidentally intercept Canadian communications or information.”

It adds it takes steps to protect the privacy of that information. A date at the bottom of this page suggests the information was modified on December 20, 2013.

An Ottawa Citizen article says “A CSE spokesman said the statement is an initial response to increased media attention and public interest in the organization following the disclosures by former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.”

News stories based on the Snowden leaks suggests CSEC helped the NSA spy on the G20 summit in 2010, and set up spy posts around the world at the request of the NSA.

CSEC’s mandate is “collecting foreign signals intelligence in support of the Government of Canada’s priorities”, protecting Canada’s computer systems, and assisting “federal law enforcement and security organizations”.

On its “Foreign signals intelligence” web page CSEC says it “strives to be as open and transparent as it can be. However, we keep secrets because we are required to by law.” But adds keeping certain information is necessary. “The more that is known about our targets, methods, techniques, and partnerships, the harder it is to do our work effectively.”

More information:
Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) – Foreign signals intelligence – here
Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) mandate – What we do and why we do it – here
Ottawa Citizen – Spy agency admits it spies on Canadians ‘incidentally’ – here

See also:
RCI – Canada’s CSEC set up spy posts for NSA around the world – here
RCI – Canadian government refuses to confirm U.S. surveillance of G20 summit in Canada – here

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