00:28 GMT +3 hours30 April 2016
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Trudeau, Obama Quietly Agree to Share Personal Information on Citizens

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The risk of Canadian citizens ending up stuck on American security lists has just increased for those who seek to cross the border from Canada into the United States, as President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have agreed to share personal biographic information on citizens.

During Trudeau’s visit to Washington, DC last week, the duo worked out a national security deal wherein both countries will share information on their citizens who wish to travel across the border. The deal was quietly announced by President Obama on Thursday.

Currently, the Canada Border Service Agency provides the United States with information on third-country citizens as well as Canadians who are travelling by land across the border, but in most cases the information provided only includes the person’s name, birth date, and port of entry.

Canada’s former privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, has opposed Ottawa’s sharing of information with Washington, noting the Maher Arar case, in which an innocent Canadian citizen ended up tortured due to faulty information, as well as three similar cases involving the torture of Muslim Canadians, the Star reported.

Current privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien announced on Friday that he will not be commenting on the new deal until he learns the specifics of what the governments are proposing.

The battle over the Canadian border continues to wage on, however, as Canada wants to see a “thin border” to allow for easy passage of travellers and goods, while the US wants to have a “thick border” to increase the difficulty for terrorists attempting to enter through the country’s northern border.

“For those Canadians still willing to travel to the US, the result promises to be the worst of both worlds — a greater chance of being mistakenly added to one of those impossible-to-escape American security lists, and a still difficult border,” Thomas Walkom wrote for the Star.

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Tags:
Privacy, Canada Border Service Agency, Justin Trudeau, Barack Obama, Canada, United States
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  • Baybars
    Making it official now. Medical and other records of Canadians have been available to the U.S. border cops for some time. Privacy in Canada is probably worse than it is in the U.S. but nobody talks about it.
  • michael
    it seems that the 'song remains the same' then for canada.
  • seanrkearney
    Trudeau looks the part but then so did Obama when he first took office. Seems its business as usual.
  • peskyvera
    Selling us out, PM? Besides, you could not pay me enough to enter the US.
  • Mitach2002
    Strike one agaist Justin.
  • Baybarsin reply toMitach2002(Show commentHide comment)
    Mitach2002, I fear this is only the beginning of his surprises. He is not a fan of Mr. Putin, no matter what moves Stephen Dion is making towards Russia. Canada will continue down the path to globalist puppet just as P.E. Trudeau started in the 1970's.
  • Bob Hoferer
    Will Obamahaha share his info with Trudeau that he (Barry) is GAY, and his (Wife?, Moochie,) is a "transgender"? If he wants to share info., then he had best come clean about himself and his cockomenia 'family'. Even that HIS/THEIR 'beautiful' daughters are actually from Morocco. I still am amazed at how MOOOChie (Michael, his wife) gave birth to them. I'd bet they were both PAINFUL deliveries...probably 'C' section???
  • Bob Hoferer
    Welcome to Obama's 'typical' merican family. GAY, TRANSGENDER, AND ADOPTED!!!!

    bob.hoferer@yandex.com
  • Abinico Arts
    Yeah, very quietly - only place I have heard this is here on Sputnik News.
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