Issue
AI & Technology Regulation
Canada's evolving framework for artificial intelligence, online platforms, and data sovereignty. Bill C-27 of 44-1 bundled three new statutes: the Consumer Privacy Protection Act (PIPEDA replacement), the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), Canada's first general AI law; it stalled at the Industry committee over privacy and civil-liberties concerns. Online-platform legislation: Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act, royal assent April 2023) brought streamers under CRTC authority; Bill C-18 (Online News Act, royal assent June 2023) prompted Meta's August 2023 news block on Facebook and Instagram; Bill C-63 (Online Harms Act) was at committee at dissolution and was re-tabled as 45-1 C-216 in narrower form. Quebec's Loi 25 privacy regime took full effect in 2024.
Where parties stand
Compare side-by-side- Bloc QuébécoisBLOC
The Bloc Québécois supports the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (the third part of the 44-1 Bill C-27 that died on the Order Paper) with strengthened Quebec-jurisdiction protections, alignment with Quebec's Law 25 privacy framework that took full effect September 22, 2024 (CQLR c. P-39.1), full Quebec representation on any federal AI-governance bodies, and proactive Quebec-language-of-work protections in federally regulated AI deployments. Supports the AI-Industry Code of Conduct voluntary framework launched September 2023 but argues it must be made mandatory under federal statute.
Source - Conservative Party of CanadaCONSERVATIVE
The federal Conservative Party under Pierre Poilievre voted against the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (the third part of Bill C-27 of 44-1 which died on the Order Paper), citing concerns about Industry Canada regulatory overreach and competitive harm to Canadian AI firms. Supports voluntary industry codes of conduct like the September 2023 Code of Conduct for Generative Artificial Intelligence Systems signed by Cohere, BlackBerry, Microsoft, OpenText, and others. Supports stronger CSE (Communications Security Establishment) oversight by NSIRA but opposes additional federal AI-risk legislation as duplicating existing Competition Act and Privacy Act frameworks.
Source Supports a precautionary-principle approach: bans on autonomous weapons, public-sector biometric surveillance, and emotion-recognition in workplaces. Mandatory algorithmic-impact assessments for any system used by federal government.
Source- Liberal Party of CanadaLIBERAL
The federal Liberal Party under Mark Carney introduced the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) as the third part of Bill C-27 of 44-1 (which died on the Order Paper), launched the September 2023 Code of Conduct for Generative Artificial Intelligence Systems voluntary framework signed by Cohere, BlackBerry, Microsoft, OpenText, and others, committed to AIDA reintroduction in 45-1 with stronger pre-deployment risk assessment requirements, supported the federal-private-sector AI strategy through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (announced 2017 at $125 million, renewed 2022 at $443 million over 10 years through CIFAR), and aligned with the EU AI Act (entered into force August 1, 2024) on high-risk AI system requirements.
Source The federal NDP under Jagmeet Singh supports stronger federal regulation of AI systems including a substantively strengthened version of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA, third part of the 44-1 Bill C-27 that died on the Order Paper) with mandatory pre-deployment risk assessments, public-sector transparency on government AI use under the federal Directive on Automated Decision-Making, federal authority to ban high-risk AI applications, full implementation of the modernized Privacy Act for public-sector data handling, and stronger oversight of CSE bulk-collection programs through NSIRA (National Security and Intelligence Review Agency).
Source
Bills affecting this issue
- C-277Federal45-1First reading
An Act to provide for the regulation of the online use of deepfakes and for related transparency measures
Regulates non-consensual deepfake imagery, including criminal and civil remedies.
- C-275Federal45-1First reading
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual assault material)
Criminalizes the creation and distribution of AI-generated sexual-assault material (CSAM and adult NCII).
- PL 58Provincial43rd Legislature of QuebecFirst reading
An Act respecting the artificial intelligence supervisory commissioner
Creates a Quebec provincial AI commissioner with oversight authority over AI systems in regulated sectors.
- S-236Federal45-1First reading
An Act to amend the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and to establish a framework for implementing the rights of victims of crime
Updates the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights to address AI-generated content and digital victimization patterns.
- 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
Canada's first general AI law as part of the three-in-one Digital Charter Implementation Act. Stalled at the Industry committee.