Chief electoral officer proposes legislative changes to crack down on deepfakes
Canada's elections chief wants a ban on the misrepresentation of candidates and other key players in the electoral process through manipulation of their voice or image without consent.
The proposed change to the Canada Elections Act is among several measures chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault is putting forward to address the use of deepfakes and other artificially created content to fool voters.
In an interview, Perrault said he is "hoping to convince" MPs to expand an electoral reform bill, currently in a House of Commons committee, to include some new elements.
CSIS tracked intelligence flow across government in foreign interference leak probe
Canada's spy service tracked the flow of its intelligence reports across government and studied how other agencies handled them as part of an investigation into leaks of classified information about foreign interference, a newly released memo shows.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service described the "tireless efforts" in the memo prepared for staff who were keen for an update on the probe into unauthorized disclosures to the media.
Focus on possibly treasonous MPs could become 'kangaroo court': ex-minister
A former public safety minister says he is very worried the unfolding conversation about some parliamentarians being complicit in foreign interference is becoming a "kangaroo court."
Marco Mendicino told a commission of inquiry into foreign meddling Thursday it is important to follow due process under the law before jumping to conclusions about the conduct of parliamentarians.
Federal ministers were told of increasing 'volume and complexity' of foreign threats
A newly released document shows federal cabinet ministers were warned in May 2022 that hostile states were targeting Canada's strategic interests, the integrity of Canadian institutions and democratic processes, and the ability of the public to exercise Charter-protected rights and freedoms.
The document is a summary of one of four memorandums to cabinet, generally considered closely held confidences, that were provided to a federal commission of inquiry into foreign interference as part of its terms of reference.
CSIS says a former parliamentarian may have worked on behalf of a foreign government
A former parliamentarian is suspected of "having worked to influence parliamentary business" on behalf of an unnamed foreign government, Canada's spy service told a federal inquiry Friday.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service also cited indications that an unspecified foreign government engaged in meddling to reduce the likelihood of a specific Liberal candidate of being elected federally.
Foreign ministry rang alarm bell over challenges in countering disinformation online
Canada's foreign ministry expressed alarm about its shrinking ability to counter foreign disinformation online due to limited access to data and the evolving tactics of adversaries, a newly released memo shows.
The memo, tabled Wednesday at a federal inquiry into foreign interference, noted Canada had led the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism to identify and respond to threats to democracy through open-source data analytics.
PM, senior security officials slated to return to foreign interference inquiry
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his inner circle are slated to return to a federal inquiry into foreign interference in coming weeks.
A newly published provisional witness list for the next phase of the inquiry's public work indicates senior government bureaucrats and members of national security agencies will also testify.
Trudeau and key government officials took part in the commission's initial hearings earlier this year on allegations of foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Strained RCMP resources mean a 'delicate balance' on protecting MPs: internal memo
The demands of protecting parliamentarians and other public figures are placing "significant strain" on RCMP personnel and taking resources from other federal policing priorities, warns an internal briefing note.
The national police force is "forced to walk a delicate balance" in providing protective services in response to threats flagged by parliamentarians, says the newly released February memo.
"The limited capacity of the RCMP's protective services must be prioritized based on these assessments."
Supreme Court of Canada says a computer's IP address deserves privacy protection
The Supreme Court of Canada says police need judicial authorization to obtain a computer's internet protocol address, calling the identification number a crucial link between a person and their online activity.
The top court's 5-4 ruling came Friday in a case that began in 2017, when Calgary police investigated fraudulent online transactions from a liquor store.
The store's third-party payment processor voluntarily gave police two IP addresses — numerical identifiers assigned by an internet service provider.
Federal use of the Emergencies Act was unreasonable, judge rules
A judge has ruled it was unreasonable for the Liberal government to use the Emergencies Act to quell "Freedom Convoy" protests in the national capital and at key border points two years ago.
In a decision released Tuesday, Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley said invocation of the act led to the infringement of constitutional rights.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and several other groups and individuals had argued in court that Ottawa ushered in the emergency measures without sound statutory grounds.