For the criminal investigations program at the CRA, the difference is that, when we have a judicial authorization that allows us to do a search, and if we come across an electronic device and we seize this device, we would then be able to extract the data from it. We have to have the tool connected to the electronic device—a phone or a computer—so the process is very limited that way. In other words, we can't be surveilling the Canadian population as a whole. These tools are made to be used with the actual phone, the actual computer or the electronic device that we have seized as part of a search.
On February 8th, 2024. See this statement in context.