Issue
Digital Rights
Federal privacy law under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA, S.C. 2000, c. 5), which Bill C-27 of 44-1 would have replaced with the Consumer Privacy Protection Act. Lawful-access framework for police digital investigations under the Criminal Code and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, modernized in Bill C-22 of 45-1. Civil-liberties debate concentrates on encryption-related provisions, retention of subscriber data, and the use of the Online Harms Act framework (44-1 C-63, re-tabled as 45-1 C-216) against platform-amplified content. Quebec's Loi 25 (the modernized provincial privacy regime) took full effect in 2024 and is in some respects more demanding than the federal regime. Charter section 8 (unreasonable search and seizure) jurisprudence (R. v. Spencer, 2014; R. v. Bykovets, 2024) sets the limits on warrantless access to subscriber information.
Where parties stand
Compare side-by-side- Bloc QuébécoisBLOC
The Bloc Québécois supports federal digital-rights legislation that respects Quebec's distinct civil-law and consumer-protection framework, including alignment with Quebec's Law 25 privacy regime (Loi modernisant des dispositions legislatives en matiere de protection des renseignements personnels, R.S.Q. 2021, c. 25 which took full effect September 22, 2024). Defends Quebec representation on any federal data-governance bodies, opposed Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act) provisions that did not adequately protect French-language original-content production quotas, and supports the AI-Industry Code of Conduct framework launched September 2023 made mandatory under federal statute respecting Quebec jurisdiction.
Source - Conservative Party of CanadaCONSERVATIVE
The federal Conservative Party under Pierre Poilievre voted against Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act, S.C. 2023, c. 8) and Bill C-18 (Online News Act, S.C. 2023, c. 23) citing concerns about CRTC overreach and federal interference with user-generated content. Supports voluntary industry self-regulation over federal regulatory mandates, opposes the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA, the third part of Bill C-27 of 44-1 that died on the Order Paper) as creating regulatory burden, and supports stronger CSE oversight by NSIRA. Has called for the elimination of CBC English-language operations (Pierre Poilievre's stated 2023 commitment, while preserving Radio-Canada French-language operations).
Source The federal Green Party supports codified net-neutrality protection in federal statute (currently a CRTC policy not a binding law), opposes mandatory age-verification systems requiring document upload or facial-estimation tools (as proposed in Bill C-63 Online Harms Act and S-209 Senate companion), supports the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act with stronger pre-deployment risk-assessment requirements than the 44-1 Bill C-27 version contained, full implementation of the Privacy Act modernization for public-sector data handling, and the Right to Disconnect from work as a federal labour-law right (built on Quebec's 2018 disconnect framework and the EU Working Time Directive).
Source- Liberal Party of CanadaLIBERAL
The federal Liberal Party introduced the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11, S.C. 2023, c. 8) regulating online streaming services under CRTC oversight, the Online News Act (Bill C-18, S.C. 2023, c. 23) requiring digital platforms to compensate Canadian news publishers (which prompted Meta's August 1, 2023 block of Canadian news on Facebook and Instagram), and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (the third part of Bill C-27 of 44-1, which died on the Order Paper) proposed federal AI-risk regulation. Supports continued CSE bulk-collection oversight through NSIRA and full implementation of the modernized Privacy Act for the public sector.
Source The federal NDP under Jagmeet Singh has called for amendments to the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11, S.C. 2023, c. 8) to better protect user-generated content from CRTC regulatory reach, opposes mandatory age-verification systems requiring document upload as in C-63 (Online Harms Act), supports net-neutrality codification in federal statute (currently a CRTC policy, not a binding law), and demands stronger oversight of CSE (Communications Security Establishment) bulk-collection programs through the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA).
Source
Bills affecting this issue
- C-8Federal45-1Third reading
An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts
Expands ministerial powers to direct telecoms on national-security grounds. Privacy advocates have flagged judicial-oversight gaps.
- C-277Federal45-1First reading
An Act to provide for the regulation of the online use of deepfakes and for related transparency measures
Targets deepfake harassment and impersonation through Criminal Code and civil-recourse provisions.
- PL 96Provincial43rd Legislature of QuebecSecond reading
An Act to amend the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector
First amendment to Quebec's Law 25 privacy regime since 2024 implementation.
- C-22Federal45-1In committee
An Act respecting lawful access
Civil-liberties groups have flagged provisions that could pressure platforms to weaken encryption.
- C-216Federal45-1First reading
An Act to enact the Protection of Minors in the Digital Age Act and to amend two Acts
Conservative-led online-harms / minor-protection package. Less centralized than the previous Liberal C-63.
- C-72Federal44-1First reading
An Act respecting the interoperability of health information technology and to prohibit data blocking by health information technology vendors
Health record interoperability standards and a ban on data blocking by EHR vendors.
- C-63Federal44-1Second reading
An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
Liberal government's online-harms framework. Re-tabled in 45-1 as the narrower 'Protection of Minors in the Digital Age Act' (C-216).
- C-27Federal44-1In committee
An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
Replaces PIPEDA with a new Consumer Privacy Protection Act and creates a Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal.
- C-292Federal44-1First reading
An Act respecting transparency for online algorithms
Online Algorithm Transparency Act. Requires large platforms to disclose how their recommendation algorithms work.