The Town of Greater Napanee is looking to ban municipal phones and laptops from crossing the U.S. border due to growing privacy concerns. A new staff report recommends a policy that would stop Town-owned devices containing municipal data from being taken into the United States.
The policy, up for review at the June 11 Council meeting, responds to the broad search powers of U.S. border officers, who can inspect and copy data from phones and computers without a warrant.
The proposed rule applies to all Town staff and Council members. Travellers would receive temporary phones with their SIM cards instead.
The report says the policy aligns with Ontario’s privacy laws and will help protect sensitive municipal data.
Staff say the extra phones and support can be funded through the existing IT budget.
The full report is available online, and Council meetings can be watched on YouTube or attended in person.
Written by Emily Chatwood
