Transcript

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2026/4/20/jenny-kwan-5/

Action

Email your MP: https://action.openmedia.org/page/188754/action/1

More information

You can read the CCLA briefing on the bill here

https://ccla.org/privacy/coalition-to-mps-scrap-unprecedented-surveillance-measures/

Among its many privacy-eroding measures, Bill C-22 would:

• Pave the way for expanded information-sharing with the United States and numerous other governments including those with a history of abuse. Expansion of information-sharing with foreign governments in the absence of effective safeguards is particularly reckless at a time when cross-border persecution of diaspora communities—including through abuse of cross-border police cooperation tools—is on the rise.
• Give the government the power to force any electronic mechanism to build new surveillance tools and embed these at the core of their service, potentially transforming anything with a digital component into spyware. The mandated surveillance capability need not have anything to do with the actual functionality of the service in question. Backdoors like these also cannot be effectively limited to law enforcemend access—Cybercriminals and foreign adversaries have repeatedly and successfully targeted the mass surveillance capabilities created by similar regimes. Overall, the proposal creates untenable privacy and cybersecurity risks.
• Lower the threshold for sensitive subscriber data, allowing government agencies to cast a wide net when conducting investigations; and
• Give the government the power to force any digital entity to keep highly sensitive information on every single person in Canada or abroad for up to one year. Information could include every single person’s location at any time over the course of the year, a complete record of everyone you interacted with online, and more. Bill C-22 includes no mechanism to place limits on who can access these data troves or for what purpose, making it potentially fair game for any and all criminal and civil investigations as well as for commercial exploitation by the private company being compelled to retain the data.

The Liberals always quietly support privatization, but moments of crisis like this embolden them to slash and burn. Feel bad for Liberal voters (and the rest of us!) who are facing the inevitable betrayal...