January 30, 2026
Subject: Notification of NSIRA’s Review of the Communications Security Establishment’s Targeting Activities
Dear Minister McGuinty,
I am writing on behalf of the Members of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) to inform you that NSIRA has initiated a review of the Communications Security Establishment’s (CSE) targeting activities.
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act (NSIRA Act). The NSIRA Act grants NSIRA full and timely access to all information held by reviewed departments and agencies, including classified and privileged information, with the exception of Cabinet confidences.
NSIRA will review CSE’s targeting activities to examine their reasonableness, necessity, and compliance with the law, ministerial authorization, and policy. Emphasis will be placed on assessing CSE’s compliance with the statutory prohibition against directing its activities at Canadians or persons in Canada and with the requirement to not infringe the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
NSIRA will engage with your officials regarding this review. As the review progresses, NSIRA’s review team will be in regular contact with them with requests for information. Such requests may involve documents, system access, written explanations, briefings, interviews, surveys, and any other information that NSIRA determines to be of relevance to this review. This review may also include independent inspections of some technical systems. NSIRA’s expectations for responsiveness are available online at https://nsira-ossnr.gc.ca.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation and support to the independent review process, which is key to transparency and democratic accountability.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C.
Chair, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
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- Caroline Xavier, Chief, Communications Security Establishment