Canadian spy agency sued for allegedly violating charter

Might as well remain loyal to the latest theme of "secrecy and non-existent accountability"

Ahh! I see you got the memo! People like Snowdon go to jail for telling us about things like this, not the people who actually did it.

I didn't report this, CBC did, I am simply posting it to make others aware, reaching maybe 30 million fewer people than CBC has reached with this story and the follow-up interviews. I say let's see what else they are hiding if these institutions are based on law and order. The lack of oversight is frightening quite frankly.

If they are illegally taking this information from Canadians just exactly who is using the information? Why CSIS of course (in some cases RCMP), unless there is some other civilian organization I don't know about. This in itself is worrisome as unlike the CIA who cannot target an American on American soil by their law and Constitution, CSIS can ONLY target domestically. So that little chat with grandma is being overheard and if CSIS deems it a "security threat", well, life won't be very enjoyable for you in your country of birth. Fair? "Due process"? Don't be silly.

Now if they were using that information on foreign targets; interception of discussion and operating on this premise I would be more accepting of it. Sadly, I don't think that this is the way CSIS operates in far too many instances, as some judges have pointed this out (google some of Judge Simon Noel's rulings).

As a matter of personal belief I trust MI5, MI6, CIA, FBI, DCRI, ASIO, ASIS, GCSB and another dozen agencies to do the right thing before I would trust CSIS or many other "intelligence" agencies in Canada to do so (including municipal police and the RCMP). In fact, I would be far less concerned about the activities of CSE if I didn't have a reasonable understanding already about how untrustworthy and dishonest CSIS is...but that is a matter of opinion that I would insist is fact.

I wouldn't take it as an attack, though I did misconstrue his opinion. I find Caleb more thoughtful and objective than most on this site, so I wouldn't take offense to such a comment from him regardless.


Here is the fact, CSE (now CSES) has the capabilities to get information on Canadians already, it is well known that these agencies simply ask Americans or British to utilize their tactics on Canadians and share that information with them. It is the same outcome but it is a "roundabout" method so they are technically not spying on Canadians. I do know this, I am GLAD that Canada has this capability, the dangerous part only occurs when one considers who is using it; that to me is where the real trust begins. Benign interception of others discussions have never concerned me personally, interference in one's life and career is an entirely different story altogether; especially when that person does not represent a threat or has been loyal to his country of birth.

As for Snowden, I was cautious from day 1 about him, it was particularly unsettling when he wanted to go to China as he said they had the "same philosophy" on free speech as he had. My early estimation was that he was a spy and it was a deception that drove him to "safety". A well operated ruse that worked, though he has denied any involvement in spying to this day (not a surprise obviously.