Anti-money laundering agency still keeps too much personal info: watchdog

OTTAWA – The federal privacy watchdog says Canada’s anti-money laundering agency continues to keep too much personal information about people.

In a newly released audit report, privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart says the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre has made limited progress in addressing the problem since she flagged it four years ago.

The centre zeros in on cash linked to money laundering, terrorism and other crimes by sifting through information from banks, insurance companies, securities dealers, money service businesses, real estate brokers, casinos and others.

Stoddart found in 2009 that although reports about allegedly dubious transactions were reviewed and prioritized, they were not assessed for reasonable suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing.

The privacy commissioner says she was disappointed in the latest results.

The audit recommends the anti-money laundering agency analyze and assess incoming reports and identify and dispose of information that it should not have received.

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