The deeply problematic Part 2 of the lawful access Bill C-22, the new "Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act", which has the potential to create a whole new surveillance infrastructure in Canada. New on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh51... #lawfulaccess

The Canadian government wants you to focus on Part 1 of the Lawful Access Act (Bill C-22), but this is what Part 2 will enable. Secret ministerial orders are the groundwork for turnkey totalitarianism.

The lawful access debate started in the House this week. The government's strategy: say as little as possible about the metadata surveillance database and the risks of systemic vulnerabilities in Canadian networks. We need to start paying attention.

LAST CHANCE to register for Digital Access Day, our flagship annual event, HAPPENING TOMORROW: tcisdad2026.eventbrite.com

SPEAKER LINE-UP: Digital Access Day returns on April 15th—bringing together government, industry, academia, and community leaders to explore how 🇨🇦 can strengthen AI, cloud, and digital infrastructure while ensuring connectivity, affordability, and inclusion. REGISTER: tcisdad2026.eventbrite.com

My colleague @kate-ro.bsky.social @citizenlab.ca spoke to CBC re alarming new "AI"/facial recognition-integrated body cams program that Edmonton Police Services is piloting. Always a reassuring sign: "EPS has declined multiple times to answer questions from CBC News regarding the [FRT] project..."

The second of a series on what's in Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act of 2026 (Canada's new #LawfulAccess bill). A close look at Production Orders for Subscriber Information in Part 1 of the bill, new on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpX5...

Interested in becoming a law professor focusing on privacy and AI? Apply as soon as possible to GW Law’s VAP in Privacy & Technology Law. We start reviewing applications soon: www.law.gwu.edu/privacy-and-...

New from 404 Media: the FBI was able to extract incoming Signal messages from a phone even though the app was deleted. Why? Because parts of messages were stored in the iPhone's internal notification database. Shows how secure chat data can come from unexpected places www.404media.co/fbi-extracts...

Still no Charter statement for Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act 2026. Hmm. www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/...

In case you missed this on Sunday evening: The first of a series on what's in Bill C-22, Canada's new #LawfulAccess bill. A close look at the warrantless "Confirmation of Service Demand" in Part 1 of the bill, new on my YouTube channel: youtu.be/gMno2l6QfOY

The first of a series on what's in Bill C-22, Canada's new #LawfulAccess bill. A close look at the warrantless "Confirmation of Service Demand" in Part 1 of the bill, new on my YouTube channel: youtu.be/gMno2l6QfOY

Too much of this is moral panic and hand-waving. Freedom of information is fundamental to our democracy, and it's currently under threat. If AI tools can make government more transparent and do so more quickly, then why not try? thetyee.ca/News/2026/04...

Alberta removes education from curriculum

I wonder when we'll see the Charter Statement for Bill C-22, An Act Respecting Lawful Access? www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/...

I don't know who Desmond Mills is. I don't want to know. But what I do know that he can bugger off and take his worthless opinion with him. ottawacitizen.com/opinion/mill...

The next time you hear Canadian police or national security folks try to justify expanding surveillance powers by saying "our Five Eyes partners" have the capability, think of this: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...

It's always a pleasure to speak with @mgeist.bsky.social and @robertdiab.bsky.social. Robert and I were guests on Michael's great Law Bytes Podcast to discuss Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act 2026. Check it out!

Lawful access is back with concerns on access to subscriber information, metadata retention, and network surveillance. Two of Canada’s leading experts - @privacylawyer.ca and @robertdiab.bsky.social - join Law Bytes podcast for a roundtable discussion on the bill. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/03/the-...

🚨 Bill C-22 forces every Canadian internet provider, messaging app & cloud service to build surveillance backdoors and store a year of your data. Foreign state hackers exploited similar legislation in the US. Shut the backdoor: openmedia.org/StopC22-bsky #BillC22

I had a good conversation with @pmazereeuw.bsky.social at the @hilltimes.com about Bill C-22 and lawful access. Check it out. www.hilltimes.com/podcast/unpa...

Premier Ford: I have known Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim for over 15 years. I represent organizations often 'against' the regulator. We sometimes disagree, but I have NEVER had ANY reason to question her unbiased dedication to her role. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

For the hyperpartisans filling my notifications about Bill C-22, lawful access: y'all should know that three of the past four attempts to do this were from conservative governments. blog.privacylawyer.ca/2025/06/past...

And before you say "I'll use a VPN", Bill C-22 can mandate backdoors and mandatory logging for all VPNs that provide service to Canadians. This goes far beyond consistent interfaces and protocols for executing court-ordered intercept orders.

In the coming days, Canada's opposition parties are going to have to decide whether they support Bill C-22, the #LawfulAccess Act. They--and all Canadians--need to consider whether this massive surveillance infrastructure is what we want. Or will tolerate.

I really should ATIP this: it appears that emails from *.gc.ca email addresses default to sending on Friday between 4:20 and 4:30 ET.

Bill C-22 isn't just about updating "lawful access" pathways. It will permit the government to create a new massive surveillance infrastructure, ordering tech companies and telcos to collect MORE data for the police and CSIS. www.youtube.com/shorts/VPv3T...

The International Association of Privacy Professionals Canada Newsletter has a really nice tribute to Professor Michael Geist (@mgeist.bsky.social) and his important contributions to privacy in Canada. iapp.org/news/a/notes...

It was an interesting hearing, with a very engaged bench of judges. Trying to predict the outcome based on the judges' questions is a mug's game, so we'll just have to wait and see. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Why the metadata preservation requirements in the Lawful Access Act 2026 (Bill C-22) likely violate the Charter, from @robertdiab.bsky.social

Happy to see that Afroman has won the bonkers civil suit brought by local cops after they raided his house. I spoke about the laughable lawsuit a while ago: youtu.be/_QSVp-iQBxk And @ianrunkle.bsky.social has up to the minute coverage on his channel.

Sorry that my overview of Bill C-22 (Lawful Access Act, 2026) was 40+ minutes long. The second half, starting here, is what I think Canadians should understand. The open internet should not be deputized to collect more information for cops and spies. youtu.be/tZFbTYttuN8

In a new statement, Commissioner Patricia Kosseim warns that proposed changes to Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act would seriously weaken privacy protections, transparency, reduce independent oversight and put Ontarians’ personal information at greater risk.

Tune in here on Thursday morning at 9:30 Eastern Time to watch the Supreme Court of Canada appeal in Facebook v. Privacy Commissioner of Canada. This is a very important case about meaningful consent and safeguarding personal information. www.scc-csc.ca/cases-dossie...

Much of the discussion around the new lawful access bill has focused on provisions that improved upon Bill C-2. But there are some major privacy risks buried in the new bill. Topping the list: new regulations for mandatory metadata retention for up to a year. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/03/the-...

I tend not to join bandwagons, swinging my fist in the air saying "there ought to be a law!" But this particular amendment to our Criminal Code to address deepfakes (including fully synthetic images) is needed: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

What Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, 2026 can do. Do Canadians want this? More here: youtu.be/tZFbTYttuN8 #lawfulaccess #cdnpoli

The new Bill C-22 (Lawful Access) will create new info demands and require "electronic service providers" to create new surveillance capabilities. Part 1 is improved from Bill C-2 but Part 2 is bad creating an expansive surveillance infrastructure. youtu.be/tZFbTYttuN8

I have some thoughts on #BillC22 related to #lawfulaccess. More to come ...

If you care about #lawfulaccess (and you should), you should read what Robert has to say.

I agree with Michael's assessment here: Part 1 of C-22 is much improved, but Part 2 (the Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act) is deeply, deeply problematic and Canadians should be very concerned.

New lawful access legislation is back on the table. In this piece from the Canadian Bar Association’s National Magazine, TCIS board members @mgeist.bsky.social & @privacylawyer.ca weigh in on Bill C-22—and why key privacy concerns remain. Read more: nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...

New from me at @cba-nationalmag.bsky.social: New lawful access bill still lacking #cdnpoli

Yes, the new #lawfulaccess bill, #BillC22, is much less worse than #C2 but I am really tired of its defenders who clearly don't know what it actually says making up justifications that are not addressed in the bill. I'd wager that Ottawa Police Chief either hasn't read it or doesn't understand it.

The Government of Canada is reconvening its expert panel on online safety to expand the focus to include "artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and AI companions, as well as other evolving trends related to online services." www.canada.ca/en/canadian-...

Here we go: Bill C-22 An Act respecting lawful access. I expect the text will be available later today. www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/en...

Watching birds and other visitors in my back yard is one of my happy places. Before #lawfulaccess takes over the joint, here are some lovely creatures living in a state of bliss, and yet caring not a whit about privacy. This one is a nuthatch.

Here we go: Lawful access (#lawfulaccess) is coming tomorrow to Parliament. www.canada.ca/en/public-sa...

Buckle up .... www.ourcommons.ca/documentview...

For some background on this very important case, you can read my blog or watch my YouTube video on the Federal Court of Appeal decision that's being appealed: blog.privacylawyer.ca/2024/09/appe...