Canada's Spy Watchdog Says CSIS May Not Have Followed the Law When Using Special Powers

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service may not have complied with the law when it used special powers to gather information, according to a review by the country's national spy watchdog. CBC News reports the finding, which is framed as possible non-compliance rather than a proven offence — a distinction worth holding onto, since it is the difference between a watchdog's suspicion and a determination of illegality by someone with the authority to make one. The powers in question are exactly the kind that let an intelligence agency work out of public view, which is what makes an outside review the main check available on how they are used. What matters now is whether a finding of possible non-compliance produces consequences or sits as a paragraph in a report.