CBC’s the National raised questions this weekend about how the Canadian government should respond now that Obama has publicly announced NSA reforms. In the story above, Commissioner Cavoukian expresses her deep concern about CSEC’s lack of transparency and accountability.
This Sunday’s New York Times carefully examined Obama’s proposed overhaul and suggested that this is simply the first step in a long process.
All of which means that the future shape of a surveillance apparatus whose secrets have been uncomfortably exposed remains far from certain. The assurances Mr. Obama offered his critics may be made more nebulous by exceptions written into any new policies. The question of what to do with a vast trove of data on everyday Americans may elude policy makers who cannot agree on much. And yet legislators may find their usual politics scrambled by an issue that crosses party lines.
The Washington Post reviewed the world’s reaction to the announcements and found them to be tepid, at best:
Initial reaction overseas suggested he still has a significant way to go to heal the rifts, with many wondering why he didn’t offer more specific protections.
And finally, the Globe and Mail offer sharp criticism of the reforms and suggests that little has changed.
The bottom line is that anyone hoping for the continuation of mass data collection, from millions of messages and phone calls, should be pleased. And critics of practices that seem to unnecessarily violate the privacy rights of millions should still be concerned, because these reforms only scratch the surface. We’re in the second camp.
