As individuals who value our privacy, we are deeply concerned about the reported use of spyware technologies by Canadian federal agencies. This issue hits close to home for all of us, as we live in an era where our personal electronics are being exploited to gather unsolicited information about us. This not only breaches our privacy but also leaves us vulnerable to various forms of fraud.

According to a report from CBC News (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/federal-canada-government-department-privacy-1.7041255), these agencies have been intruding on personal privacy without any accountability. We believe that it is high time for these federal agencies and the government itself to be held accountable for such invasions.

'Normalization' of surveillance
A directive from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) requires that all federal institutions carry out what it calls a privacy impact assessment (PIA) prior to any new activity that involves the collection or handling of personal information, with the goal of identifying privacy risks and ways of mitigating or eliminating them.

According to the directive, which took effect in 2002 and was revised in 2010, federal departments must then provide a copy of their PIA to the TBS and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Radio-Canada asked each of the federal institutions using the software if they had first conducted privacy impact assessments. According to their written responses, none did. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said it intends to do so.

The fact that these assessments were never done "shows that it's just become normalized, that it's not a big deal to get into somebody's cell phone," said Light. "There's been a normalization of this really extreme capability of surveillance."

Some departments said a PIA wasn't necessary because they had already obtained judicial authorizations such as search warrants, which impose strict conditions on the seizure of electronic devices.

Evan Light, associate professor of communications at York University's Glendon campus, said he's shocked by the widespread use of tools capable of extracting personal data from phones being used in 13 departments and agencies within the federal government. Radio-Canada has learned those departments' use of the tools did not undergo a privacy impact assessment required by the federal government.

Watch: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2287607363623

Our goal is simple yet crucial - make Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) mandatory for all agencies before they employ any form of spyware technology. A PIA will ensure that the potential impacts on privacy rights are thoroughly evaluated and mitigated before any surveillance technology is deployed.

In this digital age, where data has become one of the most valuable resources, it's essential that we safeguard our right to privacy. Let's stand together against unwarranted surveillance and demand transparency and accountability from our government.

Please sign this petition today; let's protect our right to privacy!