Canada: Police Chiefs Call for Updated Laws to Fight Cross-Border Crime
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
The Strong Borders Act represents essential modernization of Canada’s defenses against international crime networks moving drugs, guns and people across borders. Police chiefs warn outdated laws let cartels exploit digital gaps and postal loopholes. The Act closes these by allowing searches of small mail, expanding export inspections and giving law enforcement updated digital powers to track and disrupt transnational threats before they reach Canadian communities.
Government-critical narrative
The Strong Borders Act grants sweeping powers for police, CSIS and other officials to compel companies to hand over information without judicial oversight or meaningful proof. Civil liberties advocates warn this could force digital services to be redesigned for surveillance, enable international data-sharing and let authorities extract deeply personal details — from purchases to travel — under the false pretense of “innocuous” inquiries.
The Controversies
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