politics
March 16, 2026
Canada's Bill C-22 Mandates Mass Metadata Surveillance Of Canadians
The government insists it isn't surveilling ordinary Canadians; it's just requiring every company to store their location data, device information, and daily movements for a year, just in case.
TL;DR
- Bill C-22 requires electronic service providers to store Canadians' metadata (location, device info) for one year.
- The government states the bill is for modernizing law enforcement and enhancing safety, not for surveilling ordinary citizens.
- Critics, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, argue the bill poses privacy risks and creates cybersecurity threats.
- The bill allows access to this data by police and intelligence agencies with a warrant.
- It includes provisions for secret orders compelling providers to build surveillance capabilities.
- C-22 is a revised version of the previously criticized Bill C-2, narrowing some powers but maintaining the core premise of mass data retention.
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