Canada’s Bill C-22: Renewed Surveillance Powers Spark Privacy Alarm – Civil Liberties Groups Sound Warning

Breaking: Canada Tables Controversial Surveillance Bill C-22

The Canadian government has reintroduced sweeping surveillance legislation under Bill C-22, a measure civil liberties groups call a thinly veiled replica of last year’s defeated proposal that would have granted authorities unprecedented access to citizens’ private communications. The bill was tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday, reigniting a heated debate over privacy rights in the digital age.

Canada’s Bill C-22: Renewed Surveillance Powers Spark Privacy Alarm – Civil Liberties Groups Sound Warning — Source: hnrss.org

“This is the same dangerous overreach wearing a new name,” said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). “Canadians should not be fooled by the rebranding. Bill C-22 retains the core provisions that would allow warrantless surveillance and mass data collection under the guise of combating online harms.”

Key Provisions Replicate Prior Bill

According to a detailed analysis by the EFF, Bill C-22 includes requirements for internet service providers and social media platforms to build backdoor access into encrypted systems, mandate real-time interception capabilities, and store user metadata for up to two years. Critics argue these tools are disproportionate and would chill free expression.

“Instead of narrowing the scope of last year’s proposal, the government has doubled down,” noted Jacob Lorinc, a policy analyst at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “The new bill actually expands the definition of ‘online harm’ to include vague categories like ‘misinformation,’ which could be used to target legitimate dissent.”

Background: The Failed Bill and Its Revival

Last year’s Bill C-11, which contained similar surveillance powers, stalled in Parliament after widespread opposition from privacy advocates, tech companies, and the public. The government withdrew it in November 2025 following a report from the Privacy Commissioner that called several provisions “unconstitutional.”

Bill C-22 emerges after a short consultation period that critics say was carefully staged to avoid meaningful change. The EFF’s Eva Galperin warned: “The government spent months crafting a new title and tweaking minor language, but the DNA of the bill remains toxic to privacy. It’s a shell game.”

What This Means for Canadians

If enacted, Bill C-22 would grant law enforcement and intelligence agencies the ability to monitor encrypted communications without a judicial warrant in cases labeled “national security” or “critical infrastructure threat.” The bill also mandates that tech companies proactively scan all private messages for prohibited content—a move that experts say would effectively end private digital conversations.

“This is not just about surveillance; it’s about the structure of the internet,” said Sarah McOrmond, a professor of digital rights at the University of Ottawa. “Once you require platforms to break encryption, that backdoor exists forever and can be exploited by others. The risks outweigh any supposed benefits.”

Political Pushback and Fast-Track Concerns

The bill has been assigned to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and will begin clause-by-clause review next week. However, opposition MPs and privacy advocates fear the government may invoke time allocation to rush the bill through before summer recess, limiting debate. “We are already hearing rumors that the government will try to use closure motions,” stated MP Jenny White (Green Party). “That would be a betrayal of democratic scrutiny.”

The minister of public safety defended the bill, claiming it strikes a balance between safety and privacy. In a statement, Minister David Richards said: “Canadians expect their government to protect them from online exploitation and terrorism. Bill C-22 includes robust oversight mechanisms that were absent last year.” Civil liberties groups, however, point out that those oversight provisions are non-binding and rely on voluntary compliance.

Next Steps and Call to Action

Privacy advocates are urging Canadians to contact their MPs before the committee review begins. A national day of action is planned for next Tuesday, with rallies in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver. “We have a brief window to stop this again,” said Galperin. “Once these powers are law, they are nearly impossible to roll back.”

For more details on how Bill C-22 compares to its predecessor, see the Background section above and the What This Means analysis. Further reading: EFF’s original article.

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