What Are All the Government Bills Aimed at Tightening Internet and Data Rules

Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree is surrounded by members of the Liberal caucus as he speaks at a news conference on the Canada Community Security Program in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on March 11, 2026. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

News Analysis

There’s been a flurry of legislative activity in recent weeks with the Liberals tabling major bills that will impact how information is handled online.

Ottawa has broadly framed the initiative as an effort to make the internet, children, and communities safer, while critics, including some Conservative MPs, have warned it could pave the way for a “surveillance state.”

Among the initiatives are the Liberals’ third attempt to pass online harms legislation and a bill to modernize Canada’s privacy regime. Both were introduced in recent days, with more substantive debate expected when Parliament returns in the fall.

Drawing particular attention this week, ahead of the House of Commons’ summer adjournment, is Bill C-22, known as the Lawful Access Act. The Liberal majority government is now moving quickly to expedite the legislation before Parliament breaks for the summer.

Bill C-22 has faced stiff opposition in committee from major tech companies, and several providers of secure internet services have said they would leave Canada or not comply if the legislation is adopted. Security agencies have backed the bill, calling it essential in fighting modern threats.

The Liberal government passed a motion this week to curtail committee review and debates on the bill, while accusing the Conservatives of delay tactics.

“We say, enough. It’s time for the House to pick a lane. Victims cannot wait any longer. Law enforcement needs these tools,” Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told reporters on June 16.

Tories have charged that more time needs to be spent on reviewing the consequential legislation amid significant pushback.

Part 1 of Bill C-22 would allow security agencies to obtain warrantless subscriber information from electronic service providers, a measure that has not been identified as a key concern from lawmakers and stakeholders. Tories support it and have called for this part of the bill to be split from Part 2.

Critics’ concerns are focused on Part 2 of the bill, which would require providers to retain user metadata for up to a year and potentially install systems enabling government access. Conservatives, tech firms, and civil liberties groups have all raised objections.

Anandasangaree said some of the concerns raised will be addressed through amendments in committee.

He said the bill will be amended to include protections for “encrypted communications” and a clear definition of “systemic vulnerability.” The current text of the bill says service providers will not be asked to introduce such a vulnerability when required by Ottawa to install systems giving access to security agencies.

Anandasangaree also said the metadata retention period would be changed, hinting it could be brought down to six months instead of a year.

Law professors have testified in committee that such blanket retention of data equals to unreasonable seizure in violation of Section 8 of the Charter. Metadata does not include the content of communications, but can provide a detailed pattern of a user’s whereabouts and contacts.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser said in late May he doesn’t view this provision as a “seizure of information by the government.”

Hate Crime Bill

While the focus this week is on Bill C-22, an older piece of legislation that went through a similar process was back in the Commons at the same time.

The Liberals in March had introduced a motion to curtail debate and speed up the adoption of Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act. Tories oppose it in large part because of a clause removing the religious defence to hate speech.

Senators amended Bill C-9 during their review and the House of Commons accepted the amendment on June 17. Only Conservatives voted against.

The change added the “noose” to a list of prohibited symbols—alongside the Nazi swastika and others—when used to wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group.

Bill C-9 is not specifically directed at the online space, but its adoption will impact what can be said or displayed on various platforms.

Tory MP Roman Baber spoke on C-9 during debates in the Commons on June 16 and called the simultaneous activity on different Liberal bills impacting the information space “one of the darkest weeks in the history of Canadian democracy.”

Tory MPs Roman Baber (R) and Andrew Lawton participate in a meeting of the House of Commons justice committee on Dec. 2, 2025, in Ottawa. House of Commons/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

Online Harms and Privacy

Along with criticizing Bills C-9 and C-22, Baber noted the introduction last week of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, and of Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act.

Bill C-34 proposes to ban youth under 16 from accessing social media, which critics say could require every social media user to provide identification to access these services.

Baber said that “of course” children need to be protected, but argued the ban will fail “unless we’re prepared to implement a Beijing-style authoritarian internet surveillance regime.”

Bill C-34 would also establish a Digital Safety Commission with wide-ranging powers over internet content and service providers.

Bill C-36 would expand the powers of the government-appointed Digital Safety Commission by transferring responsibility for overseeing private-sector privacy matters from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to the new body.

“In the same week, which is the last week before the legislature rises, the Liberals are introducing so-called privacy legislation, which would eliminate the Privacy Commissioner in favour of their so-called digital safety czar, who would regulate, enforce and judge all at the same time,” Baber said.

Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon introduced Bill C-36 on June 15, saying it is required to update Canada’s privacy and data laws for modern times.

“So much of our lives right now, especially our kids’ lives, have been shaped by platforms, apps, and digital services. We’re living in a different world, and our laws need to catch up,” he said.

The bill aims to increase protections for children’s online data, introduce safeguards against surveillance pricing, and establish rules allowing individuals to request their personal data held by an organization be deleted.

Majority Government

The Liberals are expected to face few obstacles passing the bills after gaining a House majority through floor-crossing MPs.

Previous attempts at passing online harms legislation failed in 2021 and 2025 due to the minority government calling a snap election or proroguing Parliament.

Other legislation impacting the online space was adopted under the Trudeau government, with consequences including Canadians not being able to see news on Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, or broadcasting policies becoming irritants in trade negotiations with the United States.

The Online News Act, formerly Bill C-18, compels social media companies to share revenues with media organizations if they display news links. Meta stopped showing news links in response.

The Online Streaming Act, formerly Bill C-11, by way of regulations from the CRTC, compels online streamers to contribute to the production of Canadian and indigenous content. The broadcast regulator CRTC recently decided to triple the tax on streamers impacting U.S. giants like Netflix and Amazon.

This prompted Ottawa to ask the CRTC to review its decision, a move that came after the U.S. administration raised concerns and called for a repeal of the Online Streaming Act.