Her research has some of Canada’s government intelligence officials worried that their most personal information could be viewed by strangers. The National Security and Intelligence Review Service [NSIRA] is in the midst of reviewing homeland security programs at the Communications Security Foundation [CSE], the Foreign Signals Intelligence Service. Among other things, NSIRA is looking into whether the use of polygraph tests in CSE recruitment “is legal, reasonable and necessary”. NSIRA investigators say that as part of that review, they must review a sample of tape-recorded polygraph interviews taken with CSE employees and applicants. This is causing alarm at CSE headquarters in Ottawa. “Employees expose very personal information during the polygraph exam, which is designed to assess factors such as loyalty and trustworthiness,” said CSE spokesman Evan Koronewski. “Review of the audio-visual recordings of the polygraph interviews has raised concerns from both CSE management and CSE employees.” Polygraph tests are supposed to monitor physiological factors like blood pressure and pulse rate to determine if a person is lying. But the accuracy of polygraph tests has been questioned over the years. Decades ago, NSIRA’s predecessor, the National Security Information Review Board, said it had “serious doubts” about the test’s accuracy. The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected the use of polygraph results as evidence in court. All government employees applying for an enhanced top secret clearance must take the test. Most employees in the CSE and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the domestic spy agency, are required to have this clearance as a condition of their employment. The headquarters of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press) In a letter to CSE staff made public this week, NSIRA promised the review would be limited and personal information would be protected. NSIRA said in the letter that the interview recordings will be selected based on “general file identifiers,” not names or other personally identifiable information.
The CSE states that it is concerned about the “dignity” of the workers
In a statement issued to CBC News, NSIRA said experts and operators, including CSE’s polygraph unit, “confirmed that a comprehensive review of security screening practices at CSE, including the use of the polygraph, is not possible without access to audit records security. “ CSE said NSIRA has accepted some, but not all, of its recommendations to keep the details of interviewees private. “We welcome this review and our only concern is the privacy of our employees. We will continue to work with NSIRA to ensure that the privacy, personal information and dignity of CSE employees are protected throughout the review process,” he said. Koronewski. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union that represents about 2,400 CSE employees, also said it was concerned. “We have serious concerns about how our members’ privacy will be protected by NSIRA and have worked with CSE management to develop mitigation strategies,” said Alex Silas, PSAC regional executive vice president in the National Capital Region. “While we support NSIRA’s independent review role, we believe Parliament should consider stronger measures to protect the privacy rights of our CSE members.”
Privacy Commissioner investigating
A spokesman for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said it has received “numerous complaints” about NSIRA staff monitoring polygraph recordings and is investigating. When asked what steps have been taken to blur the identities of the workers, NSIRA said its methodology would be made public once the report is complete. Cameron Ortiz leaves court in Ottawa after being granted bail on October 22, 2019. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) The tension between the CSE and its watchdog over polygraph recordings comes as government agencies beef up their internal security screening programs in response to the Cameron Ortis case. RCMP intelligence officer accused of sharing confidential information and preparing to leak more. Shortly after his arrest in the fall of 2019, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki said Ortis had a valid top-secret clearance — which must be renewed every five years — but had not taken a polygraph test. Ortis’ trial is set to begin in the fall of 2023.
