New security law fails Canadians: watchdog

OTTAWA — The federal government hasn’t done enough to protect the privacy of “law-abiding Canadians” from new information-sharing powers in the omnibus security legislation known as C-51, says a federal watchdog. Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said Tuesday he was surprised that many federal agencies did not examine the effect the powers in the Conservative bill would have on people’s personal information.

In his annual report, Therrien recommended agencies carry out formal privacy-impact assessments — a key tool required under government policy when departments set up any new program or activity involving personal information. The Security of Canada Sharing Information Act, part of C-51, expanded the exchange of federally held information about activity that “undermines the security of Canada.”

In his report, Therrien said the law is broadly worded and leaves much discretion to agencies to define what sort of activities undermine security. The scale of information-sharing that could occur “is unprecedented,” he said.

Legal standards for information sharing should ensure that “law-abiding Canadians, ordinary Canadians who should have nothing to fear from surveillance activities of the state, are not caught by the information-sharing regime,” Therrien told a news conference.