加拿大边境服务局(Canada Border Services Agency)透露, 他们正在加拿大国内各大城市中主要机场内, 设置高画质的监视录向器和麦克风录音装置; 如此一来, 边境服务局将不但可监视, 甚至可监听机场内旅客间, 或是工作人员的对话。
边境服务局并表示, 该监控设备已被设置于许多出入境的特定地点。其监控的目的是为了确保旅客和边境, 及国家安全。
CBSA的发言人, Chris Kealey指出,
监听装置是边境局新增设的设备。而该监听设备虽然已在数个地点被安装,
但尚未启用。
监控的计划一旦实施, 届时在像是渥太华机场中, 将会出现特定的”隐私”警示标语。边境局并会设置一个特有的服务专线, 解释这些被录音的对话将如何被使用, 存取, 和发布。
边境局的职员工会对该装置在本周表达了关切; 尤其是针对职员工作环境中将会被监听的部份。
监听设备将有助打击机场内或边境处犯罪活动的滋生。一份2008年, 来自皇家骑警的报告中指出, 至少有58个犯罪集团曾在加拿大各大机场中进行渗透, 利用在机场工作的相关职员运送毒品, 或从事其他不法活动。
(太阳报)
Ottawa’s plans to
eavesdrop on travellers appall privacy commissioner
eavesdropping on
travellers’ conversation at airports and border crossings.
Ann Cavoukian said
while it is federal jurisdiction she is no less taken aback that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is installing high-definition cameras
and microphones with eventual plans to record what people are saying as they
pass through certain areas of international airports and land crossings.
She told the Toronto
Star Monday it is one thing to videotape travellers but an entirely different
thing to record conversations.
“I just find that
appalling,” Cavoukian said, adding even her federal counterpart Jennifer
Stoddart was aware of the audio aspect of the CBSA plans.
The CBSA could not be
reached for comment.
Public Safety Minister
Vic Toews told the MPs during question period “I can assure the member that the
privacy rights of law abiding Canadians are respected at all times.”
When reminded that no
privacy impact assessment was been done on the audio aspect of the security
installation, Toews referred to the report by Justice John Major, the
head of the Air India inquiry and said the government was simply following through on its
“action plan” to streamline prosecutions, and boost the safety of air
travellers.
“We will continue to
take steps in line with the recommendations of Justice Major,” he said.
Halifax privacy lawyer
David Fraser maintained Ottawa has no business recording what travellers have
to say either at an airport or border crossing.
“Covertly monitoring .
. . all of their conversations, that’s pretty intrusive . . . I think that’s a
little extreme,” said Fraser, a privacy expert at the Halifax law firm of
McInnes Cooper.
He predicts that
anything collected by this monitoring system that leads to charges will be
challenged under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the basis that their rights
were infringed.
“You could totally
imagine somebody saying (something innocuous) and it being misconstrued and
that bad things happen as a consequence,” Fraser told the Toronto Star Monday,
adding however, that information from the CBSA is rather sketchy at this point.
According to reports,
conversations are not being recorded yet but it’s only a matter of time before
they are.
“It is important to
note that even though audio technology is installed, no audio is recorded at
this time. It will become functional at a later date,” CBSA spokesman Chris
Kealey said in a written statement to the Ottawa Citizen.
The CBSA stated that
the public will be given ample notice when these systems are up and working. A
privacy notice is to be posted on the CBSA website.
“That’s completely
unacceptable,” Cavoukian said.
“At an absolute
minimum what they should have is a very clear notice right there in the area
where they are having the audio conversation monitored, something saying your
conversations in this area are being recorded and for more information please
visit the CBSA website.’ If you don’t have a big notice right there, people
will never assume (their conversation is being recorded). They are going to
call their lover on their cell, they are going to call their doctor, their
broker . . . ”
Cavoukian said the
first question that has to be answered is, is it justified?
In 2009, the Customs Act was amended to
create “customs controlled areas” within airports, starting with those in
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The change is meant to give the CBSA greater
powers.
The introduction of
monitoring equipment has already raised concerns with the Customs and Immigration Union about the privacy of its members, fearing that
anything they might say could go on their permanent employee record.
Jean-Pierre Fortin,
national president of the CIU, has said the union only learned of the
audio-recording plans last week after getting inquiries from reporters.
Fraser said anyone
concerned about their privacy rights being breached should contact thefederal privacy commissioner’s office or can go the legal route by going to any
superior court in Canada to seek declaratory relief.
(Toronto Star)
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