A new watchdog report says there are fundamental issues with the use of polygraphs for security screening by Canada鈥檚 cyberspy agency.

It calls for the Communications Security Establishment and the federal government to urgently address them or stop using the tests for security screening altogether.

The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency says it鈥檚 the first time a Canadian independent review body has done such a detailed assessment on this type of program.

The report says CSE鈥檚 use of polygraph tests, and the Treasury Board鈥檚 authorization of the tests for security screening, raises 鈥渟erious concerns鈥� under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It says CSE policies didn鈥檛 adequately address privacy issues, and outlines concerns involving the collection and use of personal and medical information.

It also cites 鈥渞epetitive and aggressive鈥� questioning by examiners, often resulting from an assessment that was initially negative.

Such questioning 鈥渞isks causing some subjects to inadvertently fabricate information in an effort to explain an unfavourable polygraph assessment,鈥� it outlines.

The tests measure physiological responses like heart rate and blood pressure to detect deception.

But the review body says the research it looked at 鈥渟imply does not support the existence of a scientific consensus supporting the reliability or validity of the polygraph as a means to detect deception.鈥�

The report says CSE placed too much importance on the polygraphs, 鈥渢o the extent that other, less intrusive security screening activities were insufficiently used or not used at all.鈥�

It adds that the polygraph results were 鈥渄e facto determinative鈥� in making decisions related to security screening.

The watchdog says in a background document the Treasury Board should 鈥渦ndertake a thorough analysis to support which screening tools it promotes and requires while being mindful that security screening does not grant an organization the licence to override the fundamental privacy protections granted under Canadian law.鈥�

In a document responding to the report, CSE and the Treasury Board defended the use of polygraphs.

The Treasury Board said the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency is 鈥減roposing to remove a security measure that has been in successful use for almost four decades, and that is applied to only a small fraction of the public service for protection of only the most sensitive information.鈥�

The board said the recommendation did not consider the current threat environment 鈥渙r the proven record of that security measure in uncovering adverse information.鈥�

It said the proper use of polygraphs does not conflict with Canadian laws or values.

CSE said polygraphs help establish an individual鈥檚 loyalty to Canada but are a 鈥渟mall portion鈥� of its screening apparatus. It indicated it plans to make some changes, including to ensure quality control of the tests.

But it said it plans to continue using the tests, 鈥渁s it remains confident that the polygraph is an important security screening tool that is particularly necessary in light of the current national security and intelligence landscape.鈥�