Canada vows to amend Bill C-22's encryption and metadata rules amid massive tech backlash | Tech Radar

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Canada vows to amend Bill C-22's encryption and metadata rules amid massive tech backlash

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says the government will clarify how the lawful access bill impacts encryption, but insists the legislation "needs to happen"

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Canada vows to amend Bill C-22 to better define encryption, metadata rules

The move follows massive backlash from Big Tech and privacy tech firms

Public Safety Minister remains firm that the legislation "needs to happen"

Following intense blowback from tech giants, privacy advocates, and some of the best VPN providers, the Canadian government has announced it will amend the contentious lawful access legislation known as Bill C-22.

The proposed law is designed to help law enforcement and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) access digital information during high-stakes investigations. However, critics argued its sweeping technological demands would effectively force companies to build backdoors into encrypted platforms, putting global cybersecurity at risk.

On Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree confirmed that the government is drafting amendments "to ensure there's clarity on what encryption is," while also promising to better define metadata in the legislation.

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Despite the planned revisions, Anandasangaree emphasized that the broader push for the bill to give authorities lawful access to citizens' data will continue.

"This is something that needs to happen," he told reporters, noting that police and intelligence agencies require updated tools to combat evolving tech threats.

The government’s decision to revise the bill comes after weeks of searing criticism from the tech sector. Under the original wording, Bill C-22 would force undefined electronic service providers to retain metadata for up to a year, and adapt their systems to hand over intercepted data to investigators holding a warrant.

Furthermore, the legislation allows the public safety minister to issue secret orders forcing providers to retrieve data or trace devices, orders that the companies would be legally prohibited from disclosing to their users.

This triggered a unified defense of privacy from major industry players. Meta and Apple raised alarms, while Google joined the privacy backlash, warning a parliamentary committee that the legislation "could facilitate foreign interference and weaken global user privacy."

We won't be far behind if C-22 passes. In its current state, VPNs would almost certainly require us to log identifying user data. Signal isn't headquartered in Canada so they can just shut off Canadian servers, but our HQ is. We pay an ungodly amount of taxes to this corrupt… https://t.co/SUb 4y DV7o 5 May 14, 2026

We won't be far behind if C-22 passes. In its current state, VPNs would almost certainly require us to log identifying user data. Signal isn't headquartered in Canada so they can just shut off Canadian servers, but our HQ is. We pay an ungodly amount of taxes to this corrupt… https://t.co/SUb 4y DV7o 5 May 14, 2026

Apple’s senior director of user privacy and child safety, Erik Neuenchwander, testified on Tuesday about the dangers of weakening security.

"When you build a backdoor into an encrypted device, anyone can walk through, and because so much depends on encryption, we can't take that risk," Neuenchwander told lawmakers.

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Proton VPN stated that compromising its no-logs policy is out of the question, while Express VPN also argued that its no-logs architecture and encryption are "non-negotiable."

Secure messaging app Signal, alongside Nord VPN and Windscribe, threatened to pull their services from Canada entirely if forced to comply with the surveillance demands.

The Canadian security community has long argued that modern encryption leaves them outpaced by criminals. Talking to CBC, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) said that encryption, along with the sheer volume of digital data, makes it "difficult and sometimes impossible to gather the information needed to carry out effective investigations."

While Anandasangaree stated the new amendments will aim to align the bill's encryption provisions with US counterparts, the move hasn’t entirely quelled political opposition.

As reported by CBC, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party will "have to see" the amendments first, but added, "So far we're extremely suspicious," accusing the government of attempting to build "a surveillance state."

The Public Safety Minister pushed back against the tech industry's outcry, questioning their commitment to user safety. "I think there's a number of areas of misinformation," Anandasangaree argued. "We're living in a world where big techs, whether it is Apple, Google or the range of other big tech companies, are operating without any type of accountability."

With the Liberal government holding a majority, they can pass the revised Bill C-22 without the support of the Conservatives, NDP, or Green Party, all of whom have expressed opposition. How far the new amendments will go to actually protect user privacy remains to be seen.

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Rene Millman is a seasoned technology journalist whose work has appeared in The Guardian, the Financial Times, Computer Weekly, and IT Pro. With over two decades of experience as a reporter and editor, he specializes in making complex topics like cybersecurity, VPNs, and enterprise software accessible and engaging.

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