{"id":10715,"date":"2025-09-26T04:16:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T08:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccla.org\/?p=10715"},"modified":"2025-11-11T16:41:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T21:41:33","slug":"fix-dangerous-flaws-in-federal-cybersecurity-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccla.org\/fr\/privacy\/fix-dangerous-flaws-in-federal-cybersecurity-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Le gouvernement doit combler les lacunes dangereuses de la proposition f\u00e9d\u00e9rale sur la cybers\u00e9curit\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t
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Ahead of a key House of Commons debate scheduled for today, civil society groups are warning that the government must fix fundamental constitutional flaws and a dangerous loophole in controversial cybersecurity legislation that has been reintroduced as Bill C-8<\/a> (previously Bill C-26). If this legislation fails to receive necessary consideration and amendments during the committee review process, it could permanently damage privacy rights in Canada.<\/p>\n

Since the introduction of Bill C-26 in 2022, this legislative proposal\u2019s lack of privacy safeguards, its heavy reliance on secrecy, and its potential to undermine cybersecurity have been the subject of fierce controversy<\/a> and criticism from a chorus of witnesses testifying about the need to amend the legislation including from the Privacy and Intelligence Commissioners of Canada. Bill C-8 replicates many of these critical flaws<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Experts and civil society have warned<\/a> that the legislation would confer ministerial powers that could be used to deliberately or inadvertently compromise the security of encryption standards within telecommunications networks that people, governments, and businesses across Canada rely upon, each and every day.<\/p>\n

The Intelligence Commissioner of Canada warned<\/a> in testimony that, if passed, the bill would authorize warrantless seizure of sensitive private information, and questioned whether this approach can be constitutionally justified<\/a>. His testimony further highlighted that \u201c[t]he glaring absentee in this bill is the Canadian public. The information that is collected is Canadians\u2019 personal information\u201d, concluding that:<\/p>\n

\n\u201cIn light of the invasive nature of the Bill, it is important that meaningful safeguards be part of it so that Canadians have confidence in the cybersecurity system.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada emphasized <\/a>that the legislation could, for example, result in the inappropriate collection and sharing of subscriber account information, communication data, website visits, metadata, location data and financial data.<\/p>\n

Despite the extraordinary scope of the powers in Bill C-8, even the bill\u2019s minimal safeguards are not applicable<\/a> to its vast new information collection powers.<\/p>\n

In re-introducing the bill without critical changes, the federal government is also doubling-down on encryption-breaking powers that were heavily criticized in the previous version. Civil Society and experts are now urging MPs to amend Bill C-8 to prohibit the government from issuing orders that could compromise the security of telecommunications facilities and services. Their call follows a series of warnings from cybersecurity experts in Canada and the US about the risks that a failure to address this matter would pose to Canada\u2019s economy, and to the fundamental right to privacy of people across Canada:<\/p>\n