The Liberals just tabled Bill C-22. It is being called the “Lawful Access Act.” And it is the same idea they — and the Conservatives before them — have tried to push through for over a decade.
A Quick History Lesson
Back in 2012, the Harper Conservatives introduced Bill C-30 — dubbed the “Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act.” Sounds scary, right? That is the point. But when Canadians actually read what it did, there was a massive backlash. Privacy groups, legal experts, even the Liberal party of the day called it out. The bill was quietly shelved during the summer of 2012. The Justice Minister at the time even promised it would not come back in the same form.
Spoiler: it came back.
Bill C-22 is the latest version. The Liberals, now in power, introduced it on March 12, 2026. Yes — the same party that opposed Bill C-30 when they were in opposition is now pushing similar legislation.
So What Does It Actually Do?
The government says it is about helping police and CSIS get “lawful access” to suspect information. But legal experts are not buying the soft sell.
“These are backdoors so that the police and CSIS can plug in and get real-time access to their information,” says one privacy expert.
Translation: the government wants tech companies to build systems that let law enforcement track every phone, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, and air tag you own — in real-time. No belief that a crime was committed. No warrant needed in some cases.
The Security Threat Within the Bill
Here is the kicker security experts keep raising: requiring companies to create backdoors for government access is itself a security risk. Those same backdoors that cops can use? Hackers and foreign spies can use them too. It is not a question of if those doors get exploited — it is when.
The Price Tag
The government says it will “consider costs” when writing the regulations. But past estimates for similar requirements hit hundreds of millions of dollars. That money comes from somewhere. Spoiler: it is not coming from the government coffers.
What Changed From the Old Bills?
C-22 did make some changes from previous attempts. It eliminated some warrantless powers for getting subscriber information. But experts say it still allows secretive orders for companies to build backdoors into their systems. Tamir Israel from OpenMedia called it “still allowing secretive orders to require companies to create backdoors.”
The Bottom Line
This is not new. We have been here before. The difference is the party in power.
The government wants you to think this is about catching bad guys. And maybe it is — partly. But the way it is written, the power goes way beyond that:
- Real-time tracking of every device you own
- Backdoors that weaken everyone is security
- A bill that cuts out the courts in many cases
They dropped it before because Canadians pushed back.
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