As Foreign Interference Concerns Grow, CSIS Seeks to Share Intel With Domestic Partners

CSIS Seeks to Collaborate With Domestic Partners amidst Growing Concerns of Foreign Interference

December 28, 2023 TruthUSA

Amid growing concerns over the potential misuse of advanced technologies for espionage and foreign interference, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is pushing to expand its authority to disclose sensitive information beyond the government and to enhance protection for provinces, municipalities, and Canadian institutions, including academia, media, and businesses.

In a recent public consultation paper, CSIS invited public input on proposed changes to the CSIS Act, which outlines the mandates and powers of the federal intelligence agency. The paper addresses increasing concerns about threats posed by foreign actors exploiting technologies beyond Canadian borders. Foreign actors are increasingly targeting human rights activists, dissidents, and other sectors of Canadian civil society, which the agency said have limited access to federal intelligence assessments.

“Today, foreign interference impacts every level of government and all sectors of society, including Canadian communities, academia, the media, and private enterprises. CSIS’ expertise and intelligence are increasingly relevant to those outside of the federal government, and these partners turn to CSIS more than ever for information,” the consultation paper stated.

“While national security remains a federal responsibility, it is clear that countering foreign interference requires a whole-of-society effort.”

The intelligence agency highlighted constraints in sharing assessments with domestic partners due to limitations outlined in the CSIS Act. The agency notes that the Act was enacted in 1984, a time when national security was “strictly the purview of the federal government,” and the use of digital technologies that enable and enhance threats from foreign interests was not foreseeable.

“The CSIS Act does not provide CSIS with sufficient authority to disclose classified intelligence to domestic partners outside the Government of Canada,” the consultation paper stated. “This means that CSIS generally cannot share relevant information with provinces, territories, Indigenous governments, or municipalities, except in limited situations, such as for the purposes of law enforcement or when they can take action that would reduce a specific threat further to CSIS’ threat reduction mandate.”

Foreign Interference

In a public appearance alongside his fellow Five Eyes counterparts in October, CSIS Director David Vigneault cautioned about threats to Canadian innovation, intellectual property, and academic institutions posed by state actors like the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

“We see the PRC, the Chinese Communist Party passing legislation, to force any person of Chinese origin anywhere in the world to support their intelligence service,” he said. “It means they have ways of [coercing] people here, in each of our countries, anywhere, to essentially tell them and give them the secrets that you know.”

In October, Global Affairs Canada reported a “spamouflage campaign” targeting Canadian politicians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, and a dozen MPs. The campaign used networks of recently created or compromised social media accounts to disseminate and amplify propaganda messages across various platforms.

In 2022, CSIS delivered briefings to specific parliamentarians susceptible to clandestine influence operations orchestrated by China and other authoritarian regimes. The agency expressed increasing concern over Beijing’s efforts and those of its agents to cultivate ties with elected Canadian officials, with the intention of influencing parliamentary and government policies. NDP MP Jenny Kwan told The Globe and Mail at the time that she was approached by the agency both before and after the 2021 federal election.

A public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s federal elections is scheduled to hold initial hearings starting on Jan. 29, 2024. The public inquiry follows widespread reports of China’s meddling in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.

Collect Information Outside of Canada

In addition to sharing intelligence with domestic partners, CSIS is seeking the power to collect electronic and digital information located outside the country when linked to an investigation of a foreign national residing in Canada.

As outlined in Section 16 of the CSIS Act, the agency is authorized to collect intelligence specifically “within Canada” pertaining to the capabilities, intentions, or activities of foreign states.

“However, advances in technology have placed some of the information out of reach of CSIS. For instance, if the foreigners in Canada whom CSIS is tracking are leaving messages on voicemail and e-mail services where data is stored outside the country on servers, the agency is currently barred from collecting that information,” the consultation paper states.

While Section 16 of the CSIS Act contains clauses that allow, at the request of the foreign affairs minister or defence minister, launching CSIS probes that can investigate any foreigner, foreign corporation, or foreign state “within Canada,” a 2018 Federal Court decision clarified that “within Canada” restricts CSIS from pursuing digital evidence outside Canada in these cases, The Globe and Mail reported.

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