Canada's C-22 Bill Threatens to Weaken the Encryption Everyone Relies On

Canada's Parliament is weighing a sweeping expansion of surveillance powers that, rights advocates warn, threatens the privacy and security of millions. Bill C-22, also known as the Lawful Access Act, has already cleared the House of Commons and is now before the Senate. Canadians still have a chance to speak out against it.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is urging people across the country to sign its petition opposing the bill before the Senate's window to act closes.

What C-22 would do

The bill grants the government new powers to compel digital services — from telecom carriers to messaging apps — to assist with surveillance. More alarming still, it would let the Minister of Public Safety order a company to build a backdoor into its service for law enforcement, so long as doing so does not create a "systemic insecurity." In practice, EFF warns, that is a clear recipe for weakening the encryption we all depend on.

The bill would also require services to retain metadata for up to a year. Such data reveals who people talk to, where they go, and which services they use — even when they are not suspected of any crime.

Constitutional and cross-border risks

Researchers at CCLA and Citizen Lab published a detailed analysis of C-22, flagging serious constitutional and cybersecurity problems. Cosmetic changes, they conclude, are not enough: Part 2 of the bill — the section establishing the surveillance and data-retention regime — should be withdrawn entirely.

C-22 could also expand the sharing of Canadians' personal data with foreign law enforcement, including in the United States. Canada has been negotiating a cross-border data-sharing agreement with the U.S. that would let American police obtain information about Canadian internet users without any oversight by Canadian courts.

Some senators have already raised concerns and, echoing CCLA and Citizen Lab, suggested the bill may be incompatible with the privacy protections enshrined in Canada's constitution.

Advocates are urging Canadians to read CCLA's petition and sign it while the Senate still has a choice to make.

Source: EFF Deeplinks