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

Date:
Thu, 28 May 2026 14:55:53 +0000

Description:
Faced with blistering criticism from tech giants, privacy advocates, and VPN providers, the Canadian government is amending its controversial lawful
access bill (Bill C-22) to safeguard encryption and clarify metadata retention.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter 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. You may like Google joins privacy backlash and warns Canada Bill C-22 could 'break end-to-end encryption' and create a 'surveillance infrastructure' ExpressVPN joins the backlash against Canada's controversial Bill C-22 Proton joins the backlash against Canada's surveillance bill

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. Tech giants and VPNs threaten to exit The governments 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/SUb4yDV7o5 May 14, 2026 Apples 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. What to read next From 'encryption backdoor' to 'lawful access' is a compromise between privacy, security, and law enforcement needs actually possible? Windscribe joins Signal in threatening Canada exit over controversial surveillance bill The UK warned 'not to undermine the open web' as Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill becomes law

The privacy community has been equally vocal.

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

Secure messaging app Signal , alongside NordVPN and Windscribe , threatened
to pull their services from Canada entirely if forced to comply with the surveillance demands. Today's best VPN deals NordVPN 2 Year 2.59 /mth View +3 months free Surfshark 24 Months 1.49 /mth View Proton VPN 24 Month 2.39 /mth View +4 MONTHS FREE ExpressVPN 24 month 1.99 /mth View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Political opposition and next steps 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 hasnt 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. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/canada-vows-to-amend-bill-c -22s-encryption-and-metadata-rules-amid-massive-tech-backlash


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