U.S.

National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden says Canada has one of the
"weakest oversight" frameworks for intelligence gathering in the Western world.
Snowden made the comments during a teleconference discussion hosted by Canadian
Journalists for Free Expression and the Ryerson School of Journalism, moderated by CBC
Radio host Anna Maria Tremonti. He was speaking via video link from Russia.

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"Canadian intelligence has one of the weakest oversight frameworks out of any Western
intelligence agency in the world," he said.
Snowden said he wouldn't specifically weigh in on the government's new anti-terror
legislation, saying that whether it is good or bad is ultimately up for Canadians to decide.
Bill C-51 provides for a sweeping range of measures that would allow suspects to be
detained based on less evidence and lets CSIS actively interfere with suspects' travel plans
and finances.
Critics say the legislation is too broad and lacks oversight.
The government, however, says the powers in C-51 are necessary to keep Canadians safe.
It points to the requirement for judges to sign off in advance of CSIS breaking Canadian law,
arguing that is adequate oversight for the new powers.

'No fair trial on offer'

Snowden is a controversial figure. The documents he leaked in 2013 revealed the U.S.
government has programs in place to spy on almost everything that hundreds of millions of
people do online, including emails, social networking posts, online chat histories, phone calls
and texts.
Some hail him as a civil rights hero, while others condemn him as a traitor for revealing
classified documents and compromising national security. He is wanted by the U.S.
government on espionage charges.
Snowden was stranded in a Moscow airport in 2013 on his way from Hong Kong to Cuba,
shortly after he released extensive documentation about the NSA surveillance programs.
Russia has granted him asylum, attracting the ire of the U.S.

Snowden said he would be willing to return to the U.S. if he could be guaranteed a fair trial,
but said that wasn't possible. He cited the possibility that the government would use secret,
classified evidence.
"There is no fair trial available on offer right now," he said.

'Rare instances of criminal activity'

The documents Snowden leaked to journalists revealed details about the electronic spying
agencies of a number of countries, including Canada.
One program operated by the Communication Security Establishment and dubbed Levitation
sifts through millions of videos and documents downloaded worldwide, CBC News revealed
earlier this year.
Snowden said the bulk collection of data has fundamentally altered the relationship between
citizens and government, and cannot be counted on to stop attacks.
"We cannot throw away all of our rights, all of our liberties, all of our traditions, because we
are afraid of rare instances of criminal activity," he said.