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Opinion: Parliament must not allow Bill C-22 to break encryption

The legislation is sorely needed, but it must not be allowed to weaken privacy protections and cybersecurity

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The Canadian government is right to pursue lawful access reform under Bill C-22. But a key mistake remains in the proposed legislation: it leaves open a backdoor for government to access encrypted data. That door must be closed in order to protect Canadians’ privacy, as well as our relationship with our largest trading partner.

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Lawful access allows police and intelligence agencies to use clear, reviewable mechanisms to obtain information that they are already legally entitled to seek, but to do so in a more timely manner. It means being able to confirm whether a digital service exists, identify the customer and provider, obtain limited subscriber information and ensure companies can efficiently comply with valid warrants.

Opinion: Parliament must not allow Bill C-22 to break encryption Back to video

It’s essential for Canada’s security agencies to have these powers. We cannot credibly ask to be treated as a trusted ally while lagging behind our G7 and Five Eyes partners. Nor will violent crime be blunted solely through bail reform and mandatory minimums — measures that target the foot soldiers of increasingly state-influenced transnational organized crime, not........

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