Canadian Approaches to Privacy and Security in Times of Public Insecurity – The Importance of an Appropriate and Proportionate Approach to Protecting Travellers

Travellers are used to being subjected to a growing number of security measures when travelling, ostensibly aimed at ensuring the safety and security of passengers. More and more programs aimed at protecting the security of the travelling public have, especially in the last decade, involved gradually expanding incursions into Canadians’ private lives, whether through collecting and retaining more data from travellers, observing passengers in transit, or using novel technologies such as body scanners. This presentation will seek to provide a general overview of some of the more significant government initiatives in Canada relating to the collection, use and sharing of personal information from travellers, and the growing trend to collect more and more information from passengers.