Bill C-22

Lawful Access Act, 2026

An Act respecting lawful access

Sponsor

Gary Anandasangaree Liberal

Status

Bill passed the House, now waiting to be considered in the Senate, as of June 18, 2026

Subscribe to a feed (what's a feed?) of speeches and votes in the House related to Bill C-22.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

Part 1 amends various Acts to modernize certain provisions respecting the timely gathering and production of data and information during an investigation. It, among other things,
(a) amends the Criminal Code to, among other things,
(i) facilitate access to basic information that will assist in the investigation of federal offences through confirmation of service demands given to telecommunications service providers or judicial production orders for the production of subscriber information,
(ii) expedite the response to production orders by shortening the review process and clarify the ability of peace officers and public officers to receive and act on certain information that is voluntarily provided to them and to obtain and act on information that is publicly available,
(iii) specify certain circumstances in which peace officers and public officers may obtain evidence, including subscriber information, in exigent circumstances,
(iv) allow a justice or judge to authorize, in a warrant, a peace officer or public officer to obtain tracking data or transmission data that relates to any thing that is similar to a thing in relation to which data is authorized to be obtained under the warrant and that is unknown at the time the warrant is issued,
(v) provide and clarify authorities by which computer data may be examined, and
(vi) allow a justice or judge to authorize a peace officer or public officer to make a request to a foreign entity that provides telecommunications services — or that provides services by a means of telecommunication — to the public to produce transmission data or subscriber information that is in its possession or control;
(b) makes a consequential amendment to the Foreign Publishers Advertising Services Act ;
(c) amends the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act to allow the Minister of Justice to authorize a competent authority to make arrangements for the enforcement of a decision made by an authority of a state or entity that is empowered to compel the production of transmission data or subscriber information that is in the possession or control of a person in Canada;
(d) amends the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act to, among other things,
(i) facilitate access to basic information that will assist the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in the performance of its duties and functions under section 12 or 16 of that Act through confirmation of service demands given to telecommunications service providers and judicial orders against those providers, and
(ii) clarify the response time for production orders; and
(e) amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Cannabis Act to provide and clarify authorities by which computer data may be examined.
Part 2 enacts the Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act . That Act establishes a framework for ensuring that electronic service providers can facilitate the exercise, by authorized persons, of authorities to access information conferred under the Criminal Code or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act . It also makes related and consequential amendments to the Intelligence Commissioner Act .
Part 3 provides for the parliamentary review of Parts 1 and 2.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-22s:

C-22 (2022) Law Canada Disability Benefit Act

C-22 (2021) An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

C-22 (2016) Law An Act to establish the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and to make consequential amendments to certain Acts

C-22 (2014) Law Energy Safety and Security Act

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-22 seeks to modernize "lawful access" rules, equipping law enforcement with tools to investigate digital crimes. While proponents argue it closes crucial investigative gaps, the bill faces criticism regarding potential overreach, the threshold for accessing private data, and the scope of metadata retention requirements.

Liberal

Modernizing law for digital investigations: The Liberal Party aims to modernize Canada’s legal framework to match current technological realities, ensuring law enforcement can investigate digital crimes like extortion and child exploitation as effectively as they did in the analog era.
Proportional judicial oversight and privacy: This bill establishes a staged investigative process where the level of oversight remains proportional to the intrusion, requiring judicial authorization for identifying subscriber information while protecting the internal content of private communications.
Mandatory technical capabilities for providers: This legislation requires electronic service providers to maintain the technical capability to respond to lawful warrants, preventing investigations from stalling due to a provider’s inability to retrieve metadata or confirm service locations.
Aligning with international security partners: By establishing a modernized lawful access regime, Canada aligns its public safety tools with G7 and Five Eyes partners, facilitating better international cooperation against transnational organized crime and global security threats.

Conservative

Modernizing digital investigative tools: The Conservatives support modernizing lawful access laws to provide police with updated tools for digital investigations, noting that Canada remains the only Five Eyes nation without a modern framework for accessing communications in criminal cases.
Charter and privacy protection: The party emphasizes that any revisions to the law must be Charter-compliant and respect the privacy rights of Canadians, specifically criticizing the lowering of legal thresholds from "reasonable belief" to "reasonable suspicion" for accessing data.
Cybersecurity and system vulnerabilities: Members warn that mandating service providers to build surveillance capabilities into their systems creates technical vulnerabilities or "back doors" that could be exploited by hackers or hostile foreign states, compromising overall network security.
Oversight of secret ministerial orders: The party critiques the use of secret ministerial orders and the broad definition of "electronic service providers," arguing that allowing the government to implement surveillance requirements behind closed doors without judicial oversight threatens civil liberties.

NDP

Balancing investigative tools and privacy: The NDP recognizes the need to modernize investigative powers to combat serious crimes like human trafficking, but emphasizes that these tools must be balanced against strong protections for civil liberties and privacy.
Opposing bulk metadata retention: The party criticizes the bill's provisions for mandatory metadata retention, arguing that collecting data on all users for up to a year constitutes an invasion of privacy and replaces targeted suspicion with generalized surveillance.
Strengthening independent judicial oversight: New Democrats express concern over the Minister of Public Safety’s power to issue secret system modification orders without judicial authorization, asserting that administrative processes are insufficient replacements for independent judicial review.
Addressing systemic cybersecurity risks: The party warns that mandating large-scale data retention and building surveillance capabilities into systems creates significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities, potentially exposing sensitive data to breaches and exploitation by malicious actors.

Bloc

Improvement over Bill C-2: The Bloc Québécois acknowledges that Bill C-22 is more comprehensive and better crafted than its predecessor, though the party remains undecided on its final vote until further consultations and committee studies are completed.
Low evidentiary thresholds: Members express concern over lowering the legal standard of proof to "reasonable grounds to suspect," arguing this threshold is too low and could permit intrusive surveillance or "fishing expeditions" into personal information.
Strengthening oversight mechanisms: The party criticizes the reactive nature of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. They advocate for stronger oversight, proactive consultation with independent agencies, and more timely monitoring of government access to data.
Metadata and hacking risks: The Bloc warns that requiring providers to retain a year of geolocation metadata creates a "treasure trove" for hackers, potentially endangering the privacy and security of millions of citizens who are not suspected of crimes.

Green

Conditional support pending amendments: While acknowledging improvements over previous iterations, the Green Party cannot support Bill C-22 as currently drafted and urges the government to adopt a more collaborative process to achieve consensus.
Objection to novel legal terminology: The party opposes the "reasonable grounds to suspect" threshold for warrants, arguing it is an unprecedented, lower standard that lacks jurisprudence and will create legal confusion for law enforcement.
Risks of permanent surveillance capacity: Elizabeth May warns that requiring Internet providers to install surveillance capacity could allow foreign governments to access Canadians' personal data, creating permanent spyware risks that must be addressed.

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