CBSA examined 27,000-plus electronic devices in two years
Of the 27,405 people whose digital devices were examined by the Canadian Border Services Agency in the past two years, 40 per cent resulted in customs-related offences.
However, the Officer of the Privacy Commissioner found the agency breached the Privacy Act in two of those cases.
Glacier Media requested the number of examination cases at Vancouver International Airport, however, CBSA spokesperson Rebecca Purdy said the agency is unable to provide information broken down by mode, province or territory.
“We will only begin collecting information by region and mode once the agency’s new statistics collection automated process goes into effect for the 2020-2021 fiscal year,” said Purdy.
The OPC made policy recommendations to guarantee respect for travellers’ privacy while keeping strong border protection.
This includes a more “developed, detailed (and) mandatory training program” for all new and existing officers, said a CBSA statement.
The agency said it understands the importance of “transparency and maximizing the release of open data” and will publish the statistics on the number of digital device examinations on a regular basis.
Customs-related offences such as false statements, inaccurate descriptions of items and smuggling items into the country can land travellers with a significant fine or imprisonment, according to the Customs Act.
