Here’s a concise update on Bill C-22, the Canadian Lawful Access Act, based on the latest publicly available reporting.
- Status in Parliament: As of March–April 2026, Bill C-22 was being considered in the House of Commons, with the bill referred to a committee for detailed study and ongoing second-reading debates. This marks active parliamentary scrutiny in the 45th Parliament.[3][5]
- Key controversy: The bill would expand government and law enforcement access to digital data and may require service providers to assist with data extraction and access, raising civil liberties and privacy concerns among privacy groups and rights organizations.[1][3]
- Civil society response: More than 25 rights and privacy organizations urged Parliament to withdraw or significantly amend the proposal, arguing it would overly broaden surveillance powers and threaten privacy.[3]
- Context and history: Bill C-22 reintroduces and revises earlier proposals from Bill C-2 (the Strong Borders Act); the broader debate continues around balancing safety and privacy in Canada’s digital governance framework.[1][3]
- Notable legislative timeline references: You can review the evolving status via LEGISinfo pages for C-22 (44-1 and 45-1), which show prior readings and current consideration status, with updates in 2022 and 2026 accordingly.[4][5]
If you’d like, I can pull in more specifics such as exact provisions, the current committee (SECU) status, or party positions from the latest House debates. I can also provide a short, side-by-side comparison of C-22 with Bill C-2 to highlight what changed and what didn’t. Please tell me which angles you want.