OTTAWA — A parliamentary committee will hold hearings on the use of spyware by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the risks to the privacy rights of Canadians.
The House of Commons Privacy Committee voted on Tuesday to determine what “device investigation tools” the RCMP uses and to request a list of court warrants obtained for the deployment of such software.
The committee was called to meet after the RCMP submitted a document to the House of Commons outlining its use of tools that secretly and remotely obtain data from devices like phones and computers.
The motion calls witnesses including Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, current and former privacy commissioners, and RCMP officers who have overseen the use of spyware.
René Villemure, a Bloc Québécois MP who introduced the motion, says that the operational use of such software by the RCMP is concerning and that it is necessary to speak with those directly responsible to ensure accountability and protection of the private life.
The motion says the hearings, which must begin no later than August 8, will span two days.
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