Apple and Meta are voicing strong opposition to Bill C-22, legislation currently debated in the House of Commons that could compel tech companies to compromise the end-to-end encryption on their devices and services. The companies argue that the bill, proposed by the ruling Liberal Party, grants the Canadian government sweeping powers that could undermine the privacy and security of user data.
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and receiver can access the data, a feature widely used in Meta's WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage. Apple stated that Bill C-22, as drafted, would undermine their ability to offer the privacy and security features users expect and could allow the government to force companies to insert backdoors into their products, something Apple says it will never do.
Meta executives Rachel Curran and Robyn Greene echoed these concerns, stating the bill's "sweeping powers, minimal oversight, and lack of clear safeguards" could make Canadians less safe. They warned the bill could require companies like Meta to build capabilities that weaken encryption or force providers to install government spyware directly on their systems.
Canadian law enforcement officials argue that the bill would help them investigate security threats more quickly. However, critics worry that the legislation could set a dangerous precedent, potentially impacting cybersecurity and customer confidence for millions of Canadians. The bill is similar to a UK data access provision order from last year that prompted Apple to withdraw a feature allowing users to store data in its cloud with end-to-end encryption.
