Americans are more likely than Canadians to be concerned about the intrusiveness of new laws aimed at protecting national security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, new Canadian research suggests.

In what is believed to be the first cross-cultural study of its kind, Queen's University researchers surveyed 9,000 people around the world about their experiences with surveillance and privacy. The study was released Monday.

'Fifty-seven per cent of Americans and 47 per cent of Canadians said that these [post-9/11 laws] are intrusive,' says Elia Zureik, the study's lead researcher.
(CBC)

"We are seeing a high level of concern in many parts of the world about the intrusiveness of these post-9/11 laws. Fifty-seven per cent of Americans and 47 per cent of Canadians said that these laws are intrusive," Elia Zureik, lead researcher, said in a news release.

"These findings resonate with the recent Ontario Supreme Court ruling about the unconstitutionality of parts of Bill C-36, the anti-terrorism legislation in Canada."

Researchers examined attitudes toward data collection by governments and employers, and via technologies such as personal computers, biometrics and global-positioning systems. They wanted to better understand how much people trust corporations and governments to handle personal information.

Highlights from the study include the percentage of respondents who:

• Believe surveillance laws are intrusive (U.S. 57 per cent, Canada 48 per cent, Spain 53 per cent, Mexico 46 per cent, Brazil 41 per cent and France 40 per cent).
• Worry about providing personal information on websites (China 54 per cent, Canada 66 per cent, Brazil 70 per cent, Spain 62 per cent and U.S. 60 per cent).
• Believe the use of closed circuit television deters in-store crime (Mexico 88 per cent, U.S. 80 per cent, Canada 79 per cent and France 73 per cent).
• Rejected outright the premise that airport authorities should give extra security checks to visible minority passengers. About 60 per cent of Chinese, Hungarians, Brazilians, and Canadians but only a third of Americans found such practices unacceptable.

The survey also found some striking cultural differences. In China, 63 per cent of respondents said they trust the government to protect their personal information. That compares to 48 per cent of Canadians and 20 per cent of Brazilians.

About 30 per cent of Canadians, Americans, Spaniards and Hungarians felt they had complete or a lot of say in what happens to their personal information. But Chinese and French respondents felt differently, with 67 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, reporting they felt in control of the use their information.

The survey was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and included nearly 50 questions on participants' attitudes toward consumer surveillance, racial profiling at airports, national ID cards, media coverage of surveillance issues, workplace privacy, knowledge of privacy regulations, control over personal data and public trust in government.