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In 2019, Canada's national security legislation was overhauled. A significant part of this overhaul was the creation of the Communications Security Establishment Act, providing a complete legislative framework for Canada's nearly 80-year-old signals intelligence agency, the Communications Security Establishment (the CSE). This new legislation also brings many concerns for Canadians' privacy. There are significant privacy concerns related to the CSE's five mandates and activities that can be authorized under these mandates; activities related to publicly available information; activities related to metadata; the Five Eyes alliance; and the process that authorizes the CSE to carry out activities in contravention of Canadian law. There are some safeguards in place, however, significant privacy concerns remain. While there is ample opportunity for the legislation to improve, the new CSE Act is a significant improvement over anything Canada had in the past.
En 2019, la legislation canadienne en matiere de sécurité nationale a été revue en profondeur. Une partie importante de cette operation a consiste en l'elaboration de la Loi sur le Centre de la securite des telecommunications, laquelle prevoit un cadre d'analyse legislatif complet applicable a un organisme national du renseignement electromagnetique en place depuis pres de 80 ans, le Centre de la securite des telecommunications (CST). Cette nouvelle loi repond egalement a plusieurs preoccupations des Canadiens en matiere de vie privee. Il existe des preoccupations importantes en matiere de vie privee a l'egard des cinq mandats du CST et des activites qui peuvent etre autorisees en vertu de ces mandats; des activites liees aux renseignements rendus publics; des activites liees aux metadonnees; l'alliance du Groupe des cinq; et le processus autorisant le CST a poursuivre des activites en contravention des lois canadiennes. Bien que certaines mesures de protection soient en place, d'importantes preoccupations en matiere de vie privee demeurent. Bien qu'il y ait matiere a amelioration, la nouvelle Loi sur le CST est un grand pas en avant par rapport a tout ce qui a pu etre fait au Canada par le passe.
INTRODUCTION
Bill C-59 (the National Security Act, 2017) overhauled much of Canada's national security legislation. The Communications Security Establishment Act (the "Act"), found in Part 3 of Bill C-59, came into force on August 1, 2019 and governs the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), Canada's...