On Wednesday, the Canada Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), in collaboration with The Intercept, revealed the country's Communications Security Establishment's (CSE) 'Levitation' program that monitors over 100 file-sharing websites in search of extremist-related content.
"[The] Supreme irony here is that no one has been able to cite one, just one example of how such intrusive surveillance has prevented a terrorist attack," McGovern said.
The former CIA analyst added that apart from being ineffective, the program also hinders anti-terrorism efforts, as great amounts of expertise and resources are spent "on an exercise that simply builds a very high haystack with the associated trouble and trying to find a needle."
Speaking of the CSE intelligence agency, McGovern said it is "kind of a subdivision of the NSA and the Five Eyes [intelligence agencies' alliance of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States]."
The analyst also told Sputnik that since Canada's major media outlets picked up the story, "there's a good chance that Canadians will object [to the 'Levitation' program]."
Critics blame the country's recently revealed surveillance program for a lack of oversight that allows the CSE to carry out spying activities with impunity.
Earlier, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that Canada was carrying out espionage missions on behalf of the NSA in nearly 20 countries despite its "neutral" reputation on the global stage.
