Report: US spied on 2010 global summit in Toronto

Image
AP Toronto
Last Updated : Nov 28 2013 | 5:57 PM IST
Canadian authorities allowed the National Security Agency to spy in the country during the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario in 2010, CBC News reported, citing documents shared by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
The national broadcaster's website said the documents show that the NSA used the US Embassy in Ottawa as a command post for a nearly weeklong spying operation while President Barack Obama and other foreign leaders were in Canada in June 2010.
CBC reported that the documents don't mention precise targets of the US spying operation but say that plans were "closely coordinated with the Canadian partner."
The report yesterday did not publish the documents.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Jason MacDonald, yesterday said, "We do not comment on operational matters related to national security."
A spokeswoman for Canada's equivalent of the NSA, the Communications Security Establishment Canada, said they could not comment on the operations of Canada or its allies.
"Under the law, CSEC does not target Canadians anywhere or any person in Canada through its foreign intelligence activities," the spokeswoman, Lauri Sullivan, said. "CSEC cannot ask our international partners to act in a way that circumvents Canadian laws."
A Canadian civil liberties group, OpenMedia.Ca, quickly objected. "It's ... Clear this spying was aimed at supporting U.S. Policy goals during a highly contentious summit," executive director Steve Anderson said in a statement. "This is sure to cause huge damage to Canada's relationships with our other G-20 partners."
Snowden earlier this year began leaking top-secret documents detailing the NSA's collection of millions of U.S. communications records, among other practices.
Reports in other media have said the NSA allegedly monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cell phone, swept up millions of French telephone records and hacked the computer network of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras.
In response to the reports, the UN General Assembly's human rights committee is expected to vote in the next week on a resolution to protect the right to privacy against unlawful surveillance in the digital age.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 28 2013 | 5:57 PM IST

Next Story