Emergency Powers Were No Excuse for Privacy Infringements During Convoy Protest, Says Commissioner

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne waits to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, in Ottawa on Aug. 8, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protests last winter was no excuse for infringing on Canadians’ privacy, says federal Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne.

“I recognize emergencies evolve rapidly and require swift and effective responses to address extraordinary public needs,” Dufresne wrote to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency on Jan. 30, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.