Canadian Government to Pre-Screen Air Arrivals US-Style including returning Canadians
As if the next scheduled transfer of personal financial information to the IRS is not a bad enough omen for this date, a new assault will become an ingrained part of life in North America as of September 30, 2016.
While PMJT was whooping it up in Washington D.C., Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced changes in regulations that fall under the Customs Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. These changes are a part of implementation of the Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness (2011). As must be ovbious by now, this nasty piece of business bugs me as much as FATCA does.
Airlines will now be required to provide advance and “real-time” information on anyone entering Canada by air to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), in order to cross-check with security agencies. In the event there are any discrepancies or concerns, a decision will be made prior to the time the traveller boards a flight.
This system, called the Interactive Advance Passenger Information (IAPI ) will give CBSA the authority to identify persons who are inadmissable to Canada. Projected costs are $10 million annually. IAPI will be used to make “board/no-board” decisions on all travelers prior to their departure. This parallels the U.S. system known as Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) operating since 2009.
The regulations will require airlines to have a secure data link with the CBSA in order to provide access to the required information in the prescribed format in a “real-time” basis, including any changes to the information that may occur. Wow, yet another possible place for information to be breached. Note that credit card information will be included (see below).
Passenger reservation information will have to be provided by air carriers or travel agencies to the CBSA at least 72 hours prior to departure. I presume that if the airline fails to provide the information, the traveller will be unable to board and will not be reimbursed for any money lost from being unable to travel (hotel, vehicle reservations, etc).
As published in the Canada Gazette, here is the information that the airline must provide to CBSA. I have bolded items that I am puzzled as to relevance (if there is any at all to begin with).
Since there is nothing inherently criminal or “terrorist” oriented about any of this information, I expect what is really important, is what the CBSA has in its records (and which I presume may originate from and/or able to be shared with the US, meaning first off, CBP, DHS, FBI, CIA, etc etc). Actually, just where will this information at CBSA originate? Metadata from NSA? US no-fly lists? Any verification necessary before being applied?
I wonder what is next – strip searches by airline employees before proceeding to security? I mean, after all, one can’t be too careful.
SCHEDULE
(Paragraph 5(e))Information About Persons in a Reservation System
1 Their surname, first name and any middle names
2 Their reservation record locator number
3 The date of their reservation and date their ticket was issued
4 Their itinerary, including the dates of departure and arrival for each segment of carriage
5 Information about their participation in a loyalty program and the benefits earned under the program, such as free tickets or upgrades
6 The number of the other passengers included in the reservation record and their surname, first name and any middle names
7 Contact information for each person mentioned in the reservation record, including the person who made the reservation
8 Billing and payment information, including credit card number and billing address
9 Information about the travel agent or agency, including the name and contact information
10 Code share information
11 Information about whether the reservation record has been divided into several records or is linked to another record
12 Their travel status, including travel confirmation and check-in status
13 Ticketing information, including the ticket number, automated ticket fare quote and whether a one-way ticket was purchased
14 Their baggage information, including the number and weight of their bags
15 Their seating information, including seat number
16 General remarks about the person in the reservation record, including other supplementary information, special service information and special service request information
17 The information referred to in paragraphs 5(a) and (b) of these Regulations
18 The history of any changes to the information referred to in items 1 to 17 of this schedule
@Japan T
This is not the place to debate climate change. I merely brought it up as an example of something that concerns me more than cross-border data sharing.
Both are facets of the same problem.
@ Steven
You mentioned the new Oliver Stone movie called “Snowden”. I don’t know how accurate it will be (there were nooks and crannies that he failed to explore in “JFK” — probably didn’t dare to). However the trailer does look interesting to me and the youtube has over 6.5 million views so others think so too. I wouldn’t mind seeing this movie myself. Now I’m keenly aware that movies play a key role in “catapulting the propaganda” but if I watch them for entertainment’s sake only and keep my feet grounded in reason and truth, they are bearable.
Speaking of the loss of personal privacy and freedom of movement – with the US as Master, controlling international travel and crossborder movement (read and insert Canada where Chomsky speaks of European allies),”….it’s a revelation of real cowardice in the face of power that the European elites are unwilling to confront, a sign of subordination and real lack of dignity and integrity, in my view….”.;
Chomsky also speaks of the service that Snowden did us by revealing what the US government is doing;
“…Snowden, it’s important to recall, performed an enormous service, a patriotic service in fact, to the people of the United States and the world. He revealed to the population what your government is doing to you. That’s just what he should have done. That’s the responsibility of a decent citizen. The idea that you should be punished for this is really grotesque, and that Europe participates in it is even worse. Same is true for [Julian] Assange.”
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36030-noam-chomsky-on-us-military-presence-in-europe-and-the-case-of-edward-snowden
See also Chomsky’s new documentary;
http://www.alternet.org/video/no-end-site-growing-wealth-inequality-according-chomsky-new-film
The interesting thing about the unprecedented loss of privacy we’re witnessing, is that everyone is losing their privacy, including these highly secretive governments of ours. What we’re witnessing is not an offensive measure, it’s a defensive one, the government is loosing control because it is increasingly being seen as irrelevant and cannot keep pace with the rapid change that’s been underway. That’s my optimistic stance on what’s going on anyway.
“That may be the case in the US now, I don’t know, but what I have read about is the individual having to pay for the mileage points the received from personal travel.”
What might be the case in the US now? My description of what was the case in Canada 30 years ago? Or something else?
Where did you read about individual having to pay for the mileage points the received from personal travel? This seems like something that would be pretty difficult to defend in any country. If the person paid for their personal travel, they paid for their personal mileage points. If I buy something at Bic Camera and get 10% points on my Bic Camera card, it isn’t income.
If my employer buys something at Bic Camera and I use my personal Bic Camera card to get points, it would be fair to argue that my employer gave me those points and I should pay income tax on their value. In my case I bought something for my employer and got points on my Bic Camera card, but I billed my employer for 91% of the amount paid so I really paid for my own points. (Since the points really get say 110 yen worth of merchandise for 100 yen cash, the discount is really 9% not 10%.)
“NOTHING SCARES THE IRS LIKE QUESTIONS ABOUT SECTION 861”
Huh, that is wierd.
“(1) Interest Interest from the United States or the District of Columbia, and […]
Different statutes define the United States differently. Title 31 (FBAR) even says its definition of the United States is different from Title 26 (income tax). But every definition of the United States that I’ve seen includes the District of Columbia (except for historical definitions before D.C. was created). It is weird to see some definition in use here for the United States, where D.C. has to be designated in addition to the United States instead of already being included.
But wait a minute…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_protester_861_argument
Is this what you’re talking about?
Do you understand the difference between taxation and double taxation? Do you know why countries make tax treaties? Do you know why victims of situations not covered by tax treaties protest against double taxation? Do you know why the US called Eritrean style extraterritorial taxation a human rights violation? It’s not because of (single) taxation. This isn’t a tax protester site. Why are you here?
I was referring to having to pay income tax on mileage points from work related travel might be the case in the US.
I agree with you totally about points and what not being incom, but bills have been proposed in the US legislature to concider mileage taxable.
The most recent instance I read this was last year, I think. Got it saved somewhere….
On the one hand, all sorts of nonsense is routinely proposed in that August body, much of it, thankfully, goes no where. But, just as FATCA and passport confiscation, it too could become reality and probably will. I mean really, who has personal mileage points? Only those rich enough to jet set around the works checking up on their illegal overseas accounts would be affected.
biometrics for unlocking cell phones
“Moreover, unless regulations have changed, foreigners staying for more than 90 days also have to provide the Japanese government with fingerprints.”
That WAS ONE fingerprint. The Japanese government finally saw it as a human rights violation and changed the requirement to a signature instead.
NOW every foreigner getting off a plane, staying for 0 days or longer, has to provide the Japanese government with TWO fingerprints. Just like when entering the US.
That’s right! I forgot, even those of us with Permanent Resident (green card) visa have to.
“Incidentally, I keep referring to G20 countries but I suspect all countries with the budget and technology gather and exchange personal data on their citizens and visitors, and have done for decades.”
Centuries. Here’s a recent example. Pascali’s Island is set in 1908 when the Ottoman Empire had the world’s biggest collection of spies. The movie is viewable online now, so if I have time I might be able to see English subtitles for the portions where I didn’t understand Japanese subtitles.
If I understood correctly, in the Edo era, walking from eastern Japan to western Japan or vice versa without passing through Hakone Sekisho (checkpoint) was punishable by death. The checkpoint in my city (Hamura sekisho) is less famous and I don’t know if it was enforced so fiercely.
“The USG has the power and technology to track every one of us down with the technology they already have on hand — they simply haven’t bothered so far”
Yes they have. Let’s be grateful for the NSA, the only government agency that actually listens to Americans. I read that they only spy on people within 3 degrees of separation from foreigners, so I’m 3 degrees of separation from George W. Bush (I know a person who has only one intermediary from Bush), and I’m probably at most 3 degrees of separation from Obama (having been interviewed by State Department personnel for renunciation).
“Ask yourself, how many ice ages have there been? Scientists are not in agreement, some say as few as four, at the other end others give a much higher number. What they do agree on is that there have been more than one. This means that the Earth is perfectly capable of getting itself mostly covered in ice and mostly free of it on its own without man. The only difference now is that we are here.”
No, there is no difference now. The Earth will again get itself mostly covered in ice, or more likely covered in desert first and then by ice, and then getting mostly free of it on its own: WITHOUT MAN.
Except, wait for it: There were humans before the last ice age, and they survived it. Not likely the next time.
The Snowden movie just gave me an OMG moment. I used to carry Rubik’s cubes on plane flights without giving it a thought.
After heart surgery for a while I was solving a 9x9x9 Rubik’s cube every day. It gave me something to do for 4 hours (I’m slow) when neither my brain nor body could take the stress of trying to do something more active. [Though there were two or three handwritten briefs that I submitted to US Tax Court (even if I could have edited them on a notebook PC, I wouldn’t have been able to print them) and had to teach my wife how to write a certificate of service since she was the one mailing them. Hmm, how did I recover from that surgery?]
“I was referring to having to pay income tax on mileage points from work related travel might be the case in the US.
I agree with you totally about points and what not being incom, but bills have been proposed in the US legislature to concider mileage taxable.”
And in Canada they already were, though that was 30 years ago — IF the employer was the one paying for them, i.e. work related travel. Since I was the one paying for my points (by upgrading bulk tickets the employer had provided), the issue didn’t come up.
“I mean really, who has personal mileage points? Only those rich enough to jet set around the works checking up on their illegal overseas accounts would be affected.”
Northwest Orient (before it merged with Delta) sometimes had cheap flights to the US. Two flights to the US provided enough mileage points to get a free flight to Bangkok and back.
Varig used to have cheap flights from Tokyo to Los Angeles, continuing to probably Miami and Rio. I got United mileage points from them.
I didn’t know that my overseas accounts, in Canada and the US, were illegal.
Edo had over 1000 gates within the city. One needed as pass from their local neighborhood chief to pas through these. All gates were closed at night and no one was allowed to pass from one neighborhood to another.
@ND
“I mean really, who has personal mileage points? Only those rich enough to jet set around the works checking up on their illegal overseas accounts would be affected.”
Northwest Orient (before it merged with Delta) sometimes had cheap flights to the US. Two flights to the US provided enough mileage points to get a free flight to Bangkok and back.
Varig used to have cheap flights from Tokyo to Los Angeles, continuing to probably Miami and Rio. I got United mileage points from them.
I didn’t know that my overseas accounts, in Canada and the US, were illegal.
Yes, of course. I was paraphrasing arguments I have read or even heard myself why all this either necessary or at least why homelanders can’t be bothered to care.
@Norman Diamond, @Japan T
Yes, I realize that nations have been tracking their citizens throughout the ages. My key point is that modern technology makes it ever easier to collect and share this data, and that there is no way to live under the radar without taking drastic and anti-social measures.
I can’t remember whether I gave Japan one or two fingerprints, but it really doesn’t matter — even one is bad enough. However, there’s no point in dwelling on that, especially since I’m pretty sure that all sorts of biometric data will be stored on our passport RFID chips and/or other ID in the not-so-distant future.
What’s really shocking to me is how the younger generation has been trained from day one to divulge private information at the drop of a hat, blithely posting naked selfies and unlocking their iPhones with their fingerprints, sharing every single detail of their lives online. No filter whatsoever.
@EmBee
I’m definitely going to see that Oliver Stone movie. I’m glad to hear that interest is so high for the trailer; hopefully, that bodes well for getting widespread distribution for the film.
@badger
I’m always interested in hearing what Chomsky has to say. Here’s a link to an article I read earlier today — http://theantimedia.org/chomsky-us-europe-snowden/ — referencing the same MIT interview.
@Norman Diamond, @Japan T
Yes, I realize that nations have been tracking their citizens throughout the ages. My key point is that modern technology makes it ever easier to collect and share this data, and that there is no way to live under the radar without taking drastic and anti-social measures.
I can’t remember whether I gave Japan one or two fingerprints, but it really doesn’t matter — even one is bad enough. However, there’s no point in dwelling on that, especially since I’m pretty sure that all sorts of biometric data will be stored on our passport RFID chips and/or other ID in the not-so-distant future.
What’s really shocking to me is how the younger generation has been trained from day one to divulge private information at the drop of a hat, blithely posting naked selfies and unlocking their iPhones with their fingerprints, sharing every single detail of their lives online. No filter whatsoever.
I agree with you almost 100%. My only possible disagreement is that if all of us, especially the younger generations, understood history and past attempts at total control we would have a better understanding of the opportunities new tech provides governments to finally realize their dream.
@badger
FYI: I just checked Netflix Canada and they have “Requiem for the American Dream” in their catalogue.
@Japan T
Children are no longer being taught critical thinking skills. For example, there’s now ongoing debate about the value of teaching kids multiplication tables or long-form division! No, I’m not kidding. Instead of reading books or playing outside or interacting face-to-face with other human beings, kids spend endless hours accessing social media on their smartphones or computers. Perfect conditions for stunting intellectual growth, creativity, and interpersonal skills.
It is obvious that critical thinking has been taught for quite some time. Did not know about the math teaching debate but did know that penmanship is no longer required and that many school distrcits no longer teach it. This too is not new, although my knowing of it is. We have college grads who can neither write nor read their own language written cursive hand writing.
Americans have not been properly educated for several fenerations, educated at all for a couple. There are, as we said in the USN, edyumacated. Heads filled with lots of stuff but unable to think for themselves.
@WestCoaster, thanks for the links re Chomsky. Who else is willing to tell those truths from inside or outside the US?
This movie is a must see. All 1 hr 11 minutes of it. This gives clear indication where the world is being taken IF THE PEOPLE do not refuse.
The notion of privacy in the United States today would even amaze and astound the architects of some of the worst surveillance societies in recent history: East Germany, Romania, Albania, North Korea…
How much more of these sorts of things, when combined with FATCA, FBAR and all of the other surveillance tools, does a person need to learn about, before they open their eyes and realize that just maybe the least free place, the most oppressive surveillance society may be closer than they thought? Read and watch this first:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/05/13/hidden-microphones-exposed-as-part-of-government-surveillance-program-in-the-bay-area/
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/05/13/hidden-microphones-exposed-as-part-of-government-surveillance-program-in-the-bay-area/
I searched for a process that would allow someone <72 hours pr-clearance, in the case of an emergency (a dying relative for instance, as mentioned), but couldn't find anything (likely because it doesn't exist). I did however learn on an unrelated topic that those unfortunate enough to have been hassled for having been mistaken for someone on a watch list, can as of September 23, 2015 obtain a "redress number". I had no idea.
"The Redress Control Number is the record identifier for people who apply for redress through the DHS Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP). DHS TRIP is for travelers who have been repeatedly identified for additional screening and who want to file an inquiry to have erroneous information corrected in DHS systems".