Metadata is the data around a communication that allows it to be rooted and managed through global communication networks. That's not to say there aren't important privacy interests in that data that we are required to manage and protect in accordance with Canadian law.
We use metadata to understand global networks, so when we're trying to find a foreign target in a sea of billions and billions of communications, we can then know where to look to find our target.
We also use metadata to be able to distinguish Canadian from foreign communications so we're not targeting. So it actually helps us avoid targeting Canadians and focus on our foreign targets. So it must be used for foreign intelligence purposes.