Civil Society Urges Parliament to Withdraw Bill C-22 Amid Privacy Concerns

On April 21, 2026, 25 rights and privacy organizations, including prominent experts, delivered an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and all Members of Parliament, demanding the withdrawal of Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act. The bill proposes extensive surveillance powers that would require digital services to retain detailed metadata for up to a year on all users in Canada and abroad. Critics argue that these provisions would create surveillance backdoors in digital products, significantly compromising privacy rights. The letter highlights that the bill's mass surveillance capabilities echo vulnerabilities exposed in the 2024 Salt Typhoon attack, which targeted government-mandated backdoors. While some improvements over the previous Bill C-2 are noted, they do not resolve the fundamental issues raised against C-22. The letter calls for MPs to reject the bill and for the government to engage in meaningful public consultation before future proposals. The bill is currently under detailed study by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Key Points: • Bill C-22 mandates digital services to retain user metadata for up to a year. • The bill is criticized for creating surveillance backdoors that could be exploited by malicious actors. • 25 organizations, including privacy experts, are advocating for the bill's withdrawal.