Review of polygraph tests stokes privacy fears at cyber spy agency

The watchdog physique overseeing Canada’s intelligence businesses is trying into whether or not polygraph exams — popularly referred to as lie detector exams — must be used to rent spies.

Its investigation has a few of Canada’s cyber intelligence officers and brokers apprehensive that their most private data might be considered by strangers.

The Nationwide Safety and Intelligence Evaluate Company [NSIRA] is within the midst of reviewing inside safety packages on the Communication Safety Institution [CSE], the international alerts intelligence company. Amongst different issues, NSIRA is trying into whether or not the usage of polygraph exams in CSE recruitment “is lawful, affordable and mandatory.”

NSIRA investigators say that, as a part of this evaluation, they should evaluation a pattern of recorded polygraph interviews taken by present CSE workers and candidates.

That is inflicting some alarm at CSE HQ in Ottawa.

“Staff expose very private data throughout the polygraph examination which is designed to evaluate components corresponding to loyalty and reliability,” mentioned CSE spokesperson Evan Koronewski.

“The examination of the audiovisual recordings of polygraph interviews has raised considerations from each CSE administration and CSE workers.”

Polygraph exams supposedly observe physiological components corresponding to blood strain and pulse charge to find out whether or not an individual is mendacity. However the accuracy of polygraph exams has been questioned over time.

A long time in the past, NSIRA’s predecessor, the Safety Intelligence Evaluate Committee, mentioned it had “grave doubts” in regards to the take a look at’s accuracy. The Supreme Courtroom of Canada has rejected the usage of polygraph outcomes as proof in courtroom.

All authorities workers making use of for enhanced prime secret clearance need to endure the take a look at. Most workers at CSE and on the Canadian Safety Intelligence Service, the home spy company, are required to have that clearance as a situation of their work.

In a letter to CSE employees made public this week, NSIRA vowed the evaluation might be restricted and private data might be protected.

NSIRA mentioned within the letter that the interview recordings might be chosen primarily based on “generic file identifiers,” not names or different personally identifiable data.

CSE says it is apprehensive about workers’ ‘dignity’

In a assertion issued to CBC Information, NSIRA mentioned consultants and operators, together with CSE’s polygraph unit, “have confirmed {that a} complete evaluation of safety screening practices at CSE, together with the usage of the polygraph, shouldn’t be attainable with out entry to safety screening recordsdata.”

CSE mentioned NSIRA has accepted some, however not all, of its suggestions to maintain the identifies of interview topics non-public.

“We welcome this evaluation and our solely preoccupation is the privateness of our workers. We’ll proceed to work with NSIRA to make sure the privateness, private data and dignity of CSE workers is protected all through the evaluation course of,” mentioned Koronewski.

A spokesperson for the Workplace of the Privateness Commissioner of Canada mentioned it has obtained “a number of complaints” about NSIRA employees watching the polygraph recordings and is investigating.

When requested what steps have been taken to blur workers’ identities, NSIRA mentioned its methodology might be made public as soon as the report is completed.

The strain between CSE and its watchdog over polygraph recordings comes as authorities departments tighten their inside safety screening packages in response to the case of Cameron Ortis.

The RCMP intelligence official is accused of sharing confidential data and getting ready to leak extra.

Within the fast aftermath of his arrest within the fall of 2019, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki mentioned Ortis had a sound prime secret clearance — which should be renewed each 5 years — however had not undergone a polygraph examination.

Ortis’s trial is ready to get underway within the fall of 2023.