The Centre for Law, Technology and Society's Canada Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) and the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) have earned a grant from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) to produce a guidebook and online resource to help people protect their privacy and personal data when crossing the U.S.-Canada border.
The quickly changing legal landscape at the Canada-US border has left many Canadians wondering whether they can safely cross the border while protecting the sensitive personal and professional data contained in their digital devices. The researchers want Canadians to better understand their rights and how to secure their data before crossing the border, whether they’re dealing with proprietary business information stored on a laptop, personal health information stored on a tablet or any other kind of information stored on a cell phone.
This project aims to contribute to the digital literacy of Canadians (and all those crossing our shared border) around issues of privacy, surveillance, and security by creating a guidebook, smaller pocketbook, and online resources (including a video and webinar) to help people understand their rights at the border, best practices for securing their data before crossing the border, and what to do if they have been searched.