By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku
8 OCTOBER 2026
Reporting for GhanaianNewsCanada
Canada’s parliamentary committee examining the country’s security-screening system has heard that officials were not required to search the internet or social-media profiles of a Canadian intern before granting her the security clearance needed for her position at NATO.
The revelation has raised fresh questions about Canada’s national-security screening procedures following the arrest in Belgium of Biwei Zhang, a Canadian national of Chinese origin who is accused of espionage while working as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons.
Belgian authorities arrested the woman in July on suspicion of espionage and participation in a criminal organization. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been tested in court. Belgian authorities have not officially confirmed her identity, although Canadian officials and multiple media reports have identified the suspect as Zhang, who has also used the name Claire Zhang.
Internet checks were not required for her level of clearance
A senior Global Affairs Canada official told MPs on Wednesday that internet-profile searches were not part of the mandatory screening process for the level of security clearance involved in Zhang’s NATO position.
The internship normally required a “secret” level of clearance, rather than the higher “top secret” classification.
According to officials, internet searches were required for top-secret clearances but were not mandatory for secret clearances at the time Zhang was vetted.
Tara Denham, assistant deputy minister at Global Affairs Canada, told the committee that her department has since started proactively conducting internet searches as part of secret-level security clearances.
The change followed recommendations made after Zhang’s arrest and the subsequent review of Canada’s security-screening procedures.
Zhang had previously worked for Canadian government agencies
The case has attracted particular attention because Zhang had reportedly worked for several Canadian government organizations before joining NATO.
Her previous positions included work with the Canadian Space Agency, Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada, while publicly available professional information has also linked her to the National Research Council.
She had therefore already passed through different parts of Canada’s public-service employment system before taking up her NATO internship.
Canadian officials have stressed that they cannot publicly discuss many details of her case while the Belgian investigation remains active.
Previous fraud finding raises further questions
Another issue raised during parliamentary hearings is a 2023 finding of fraud involving Zhang during an application for a federal government position.
Court records show that the Public Service Commission of Canada found that Zhang had committed fraud during an appointment process for a position with the Canada Border Services Agency.
She had submitted two applications for the same position using different email addresses and subsequently completed the required examination twice.
Zhang challenged the finding in Federal Court, but the court later dismissed her application for judicial review, leaving the Public Service Commission’s decision intact. She had also submitted an apology during the investigation.
The case has prompted MPs to question how information from that earlier matter was handled when Zhang was later granted security clearance.
Officials told the committee that there is no single central federal database containing “red flags” on government employees that would automatically provide every department with information about previous issues involving an employee.
That means information held by one government department does not necessarily appear automatically in another department’s security-clearance process.
Officials warn that online searches alone cannot stop spies
Despite the criticism surrounding the lack of mandatory internet searches, Canada’s defence-security officials warned MPs that simply searching a person’s social-media accounts would not be enough to identify a sophisticated intelligence operative.
Brigadier-General Liam Cox, director general defence security and chief security officer at the Department of National Defence, told the committee that trained spies could deliberately conceal their activities online.
He said a person with intelligence training could disguise their behaviour in ways that would not necessarily be detected through a basic internet search.
Officials therefore described security screening as a layered system, involving different checks, access controls and monitoring rather than relying on one method.
Cox also said the NATO case had not resulted in a loss of confidence in Canada among its allies and that countries face similar challenges in dealing with insider threats.
Public Safety Minister acknowledges gaps
The parliamentary discussion follows comments from Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Gary Anandasangaree, who acknowledged earlier this week that there are gaps in the country’s security-screening system.
Anandasangaree told MPs that Canada processes roughly 200,000 security-clearance applications each year, while approximately half a million people have some form of security clearance.
He defended the overall system but acknowledged that improvements are necessary.
The minister also confirmed that both CSIS and the RCMP have provided recommendations for reforms following the case.
However, officials have declined to say publicly whether Zhang’s case demonstrates that the Canadian screening system itself failed.
The minister has also said he cannot disclose certain details because the Belgian investigation is continuing.
Canada now reviewing its security procedures
The controversy has pushed Canadian authorities to examine how security clearances are issued to people working in sensitive government and international positions.
Global Affairs Canada has already begun incorporating internet searches into its secret-level clearance process.
Officials say the objective is not simply to examine someone’s social-media history but to strengthen the overall system for identifying potential insider threats.
The case has also raised broader questions about how Canadian government agencies share information about employees who have previously faced disciplinary findings or other concerns.
For Canada and its NATO allies, the central concern is whether existing screening systems are strong enough to prevent individuals with malicious intentions from gaining access to sensitive institutions.
Zhang remains in pretrial detention in Belgium while the investigation continues. The espionage allegations against her remain allegations unless and until established in court.
GhanaianNewsCanada will continue to follow developments in the case and Canada’s review of its national-security screening system.
