OTTAWA — The RCMP says it is not using the controversial Pegasus spyware to circumvent encryption and monitor cellphone activity, but it has been using similar…
The Mounties’ use of what they call on-device investigation tools is the subject of an investigation by the House of Commons ethics and privacy committee this week.
It has been under scrutiny after an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in 2021 found Pegasus has been used to target journalists and human-rights activists. “These tools may well be needed, but do they have an impact from a privacy perspective that is greater than the intended purpose?” Dufresne said.
Several MPs on the committee say they are concerned that assessment began after years of use, and without the privacy watchdog’s knowledge.