RCMP plans to go undercover online to trap violent extremists

The RCMP is planning to conduct undercover surveillance online using fake personas to investigate ideological extremists in Canada, says an internal strategy document.

Experts in ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE) in Canada say the strategy is overdue at a time when online extremism threatens to spill over into real world violence. They warn that extremist activity in Canada could increase in the wake of the U.S. election, regardless of who becomes the next president.

Civil liberties advocates say they fear that having officers carry out undercover investigations online using fake personas could violate charter rights or lead people to take actions they otherwise might not take.

They point out that the RCMP ran afoul of Canada's privacy commissioner earlier this year with other online investigative activities. They're also calling for guardrails to cover undercover online surveillance.

The internal strategy document, dated April 2024, was obtained through access to information law by Matt Malone, Balsillie scholar at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, and shared with CBC News.

The term IMVE can cover anything from white supremacists and neo-Nazis to far-left environmental and animal rights organizations.

While much of the internal document discusses the need for police forces to work together to counter threats to national security, it also outlines the RCMP's plans to take its investigations beyond simply watching what is posted online.

"The RCMP's lack of a covert online presence was previously highlighted in the OIR (Operational Improvement Review), which recommended that the RCMP develop its own online undercover program to assist with national security criminal investigations," says the strategy document.

"Federal Policing National Security (FPNS) is currently taking steps to address this recommendation through proactive legend-building and backstopping personas, but this work needs to be prioritized and accelerated in order to meet future demand for online undercover activities."

The force also will have to add resources, it said.

"Should Federal Policing expand its online undercover and intelligence capacity in the IMVE space, there will be a need for additional online personas, monikers, and information technology equipment to sustain these activities," says the document.

It is not clear how much progress the RCMP has made with its online undercover program since the strategy was written in April, or whether officers using fake identities are conducting undercover online investigations.

Asked about the status of the program, RCMP officials were tight-lipped.

"The RCMP uses various technical investigative tools and methods to lawfully obtain evidence in order to protect Canadians and advance serious criminal investigations," the RCMP said in an e-mail response. "To maintain the integrity of our operations, we generally do not disclose specific techniques or tools used in the course of an investigation and will not comment further on the status of these techniques."