Canada’s Complicity in the US Surveillance State

The revelation of a data-sharing deal between Thomson Reuters and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sent shockwaves through Canadian politics. Federal opposition leader Avi Lewis has called on Ottawa to block the contract, citing concerns about Canada’s complicity in the US surveillance state.

Thomson Reuters has been providing data to ICE since 2015, but this latest contract marks a significant escalation. The Clear database will be used to support the Trump administration’s efforts to address supposed voter fraud and immigration fraud. This move comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent primetime television address in which he repeated baseless claims about the 2020 US presidential election results.

Critics have long alleged that Thomson Reuters’ contracts with ICE facilitate human rights abuses. The company’s claims that its investigative solutions are not surveillance tools ring hollow, given the sheer scope of the data it provides to ICE. Law professor Joel Bakan notes that Canada has the legal framework in place to bar companies from working with rogue entities like ICE – but will Ottawa take action?

The implications of this deal extend far beyond Canadian borders. If allowed to proceed, it would set a disturbing precedent for corporate complicity in human rights abuses. The Special Economic Measures Act, which authorizes the government to restrict trade in relation to human rights violations, is precisely the tool needed to curb this trend.

Thomson Reuters’ parent company, The Woodbridge Company, is owned by one of Canada’s wealthiest families – the Thomsons. Their influence and connections to the Canadian government are undeniable. It is imperative that Ottawa takes concrete steps to address this situation, starting with blocking the data-sharing deal and reviewing its ties to ICE.

This deal also raises questions about Canada’s stance on human rights in light of its close relationship with the US. The country’s recent record on protecting and promoting human rights has been patchy at best – from its treatment of Indigenous peoples to its handling of refugee claims. Has Ottawa become too comfortable compromising its values in exchange for economic gains?

The federal government must take a hard look at its own complicity in the US surveillance state and consider the long-term consequences of this partnership. As the world grapples with data-driven authoritarianism, Canada’s stance on this issue will be closely watched. Will it continue to enable the US’s aggressive expansion of surveillance powers or take a stand against the complicity that threatens its democratic institutions? The time for action is now.