On a typical Monday morning, Canadian government epidemiologists log into their workstations. They are analyzing Canadian health data, shaping public policy for 40-million citizens. But the algorithms that process their findings were designed in California. The cloud servers crunching the numbers are subject to American law. Even when the data never leaves Canadian soil, it can still be accessed under Washington’s CLOUD Act.

The doctors likely do not know this. Their supervisor likely does not know this. The deputy minister who signed the cloud contract for the federal government probably does not know this, either.

To the public, the system looks Canadian: Canadian websites, government seals, the familiar language of service delivery. But the reality is stark — every click crosses a bor

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