Banning hacking devices won't prevent car thefts, security experts say

The Trudeau government’s proposal to ban over-the-counter hacking devices will not prevent car thefts, experts and police sources consulted by Radio-Canada say.

Those experts argue the government is improvising in its fight to bring down the number of vehicle thefts in Canada.

“It came out of nowhere,” said Francis Coats, a security engineering expert who teaches at the École de technologie supérieur de Montréal (ETS).

On the sidelines of its summit on car theft in early February, the federal government announced its intention to ban the sale and use of over-the-counter-hacking devices such as Flipper Zero — devices it says can be used to steal vehicles.

The government fears