Canada’s spy watchdog finds ‘unacceptable’ gaps in foreign meddling review

The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency also said CSIS's distribution of intelligence on political foreign meddling was inconsistent in the last two general elections.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Public Safety Canada lacked a system for tracking who received and read specific intelligence on foreign interference, creating “unacceptable gaps in accountability,” the national spy watchdog has found.

In a report made public late Monday, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency also said CSIS’s distribution of intelligence on political foreign meddling was inconsistent during the last two general elections.

“The rationale for decisions regarding whether, when, and how to disseminate intelligence was not clear, directly affecting the flow of information,” the report said, adding that the threat posed by interference activities “was not clearly communicated by CSIS.”

Moreover, those who received intelligence did not always understand its significance or how to integrate the findings into their policy analysis and decision-making.

The watchdog also said there was disagreement between intelligence units and senior public servants as to whether activities described in briefs amounted to foreign interference or legitimate diplomatic activity.

The review examined intelligence about attempted foreign interference by China in federal democratic institutions and processes from 2018 to 2023, focusing on how the information flowed within the government. Some passages of the report were considered too sensitive to make public.

CSIS confronted a basic dilemma with respect to circulating intelligence during elections, the review agency found.

“On one hand, information about foreign interference in elections was a priority for the government, and CSIS had geared its collection apparatus toward investigating political foreign interference,” the report said.