Bill C-22 Would Mandate Encryption Backdoors and Data Retention

Parliament is advancing Bill C-22, which would compel digital services to assist law enforcement surveillance. The bill empowers the Minister of Public Safety to order encryption backdoors, with only a vague standard preventing “systemic insecurity.” It also mandates metadata retention for a year, exposing who users communicate with, their locations, and the services they use regardless of criminal suspicion.

Security researchers from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Citizen Lab identified significant constitutional and cybersecurity flaws and recommend entirely withdrawing the surveillance provisions. The bill could expand data sharing with foreign law enforcement, raising concerns as Canada negotiates a separate cross-border agreement with the U.S. that would grant American police access to user data without court oversight. With Senate review underway, civil liberties groups are mobilizing public opposition.