A new report from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms warns that recent federal policies and proposed legislation could dramatically expand government access to Canadians’ personal digital information.
Expanding Surveillance Powers
The report, Privacy Collapse: Canada’s Expanding Surveillance State, authored by journalist and policy analyst Nigel Hannaford, argues that Canada is moving toward a system in which government agencies hold far greater surveillance capabilities. Hannaford suggests this shift could have significant implications for individual privacy, autonomy, and civil liberties.
Two proposed federal bills—Bill C‑2, the Strong Borders Act, and Bill C‑8, new cybersecurity legislation—are highlighted as key drivers of this expansion. According to the report, these bills would grant authorities broad powers to obtain subscriber information, metadata, and even private communications such as emails or text messages from service providers, in some cases without requiring a warrant.
Secret Orders and Infrastructure Access
The report also raises concerns about the government’s ability to issue secret directives to telecommunications companies and digital infrastructure providers. These orders could compel companies to restrict services, remove certain technologies, weaken encryption, access internal systems, or disconnect individuals from digital networks. Critics argue that such powers could be exercised without sufficient transparency or judicial oversight.
Growing Integration of Digital Systems
Hannaford warns that the increasing integration of digital identity systems, financial monitoring tools, and expanded data‑sharing between institutions could create a comprehensive surveillance framework. By linking identity, financial transactions, and online activity, the report argues, authorities could gain the ability to track many aspects of Canadians’ daily lives.
The report points to the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act in 2022—when bank accounts connected to protest activity were frozen without court orders—as an example of how broad powers can be used in practice.
Call for Stronger Privacy Protections
The Justice Centre urges governments to reinforce privacy safeguards and ensure robust judicial oversight before authorities are granted access to personal data. The report stresses that while security measures may be introduced in the name of public safety, they must not erode fundamental freedoms.
Hannaford concludes that privacy is not about hiding wrongdoing but about protecting personal autonomy and dignity—and warns that once surveillance systems are established, they are rarely dismantled.
