Canada should not build the next hacking target with Bill C-22

Bill C-22 would mean certain electronic service providers to retain the ability to hand over data when legally ordered by the government. This creates a backdoor that doesn’t remain neatly reserved for the good guys.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, pictured. Just over a year after one of the largest breaches of wiretap infrastructure on record, Canada wants to make that the legal standard for more service providers via Bill C-22, writes Lawrence Zhang.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY LAWRENCE ZHANG

May 13, 2026

After one of the most alarming cyber-espionage breaches in recent memory, Ottawa drew exactly the wrong lesson.

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