Newly released records reportedly show that information gathered during the Freedom Convoy crackdown, including names, dates of birth and phone numbers was circulated to thousands of financial institutions and firms, including entities connected to foreign banks.

The implications are deeply troubling, this information was shared without independent verification and without encryption, raising serious questions about privacy, due process and how long Canadians’ personal information remained in circulation.

And this comes after the Federal Court of Appeal found the government’s use of the Emergencies Act unlawful, ruling that the measures violated the Charter, specifically section 2(b), freedom of expression, and section 8, protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

The court also found that the Emergency Economic Measures Order, enacted under the Emergencies Act, permitted banks and other financial institutions to disclose customers’ personal financial information to the RCMP and CSIS without a warrant or prior authorization a violation of section 8 of the Charter.

With the courts now finding that the government’s use of the Emergencies Act was unlawful and that certain measures violated Charter protected rights, this new information should open the door to further legal action against the government over the serious infringement of Canadians’ constitutional rights.

The question now is simple: How many Canadians were placed on these lists, who received their information, how long was it/is it retained, and what happened to it afterward?

If the government can use extraordinary powers to financially target people based on their perceived association with a protest and then broadly circulate their personal information, where does that leave the rights of every Canadian?

This information was originally reported on by Blacklock’s Reporter, a subscription based online news outlet. To read more, you can visit their website by clicking here