Apple and Google executives appeared before Canada’s House of Commons public safety committee on Tuesday to oppose Bill C-22, the federal government’s lawful access legislation, which has passed two of three readings in the House. Apple’s senior director of user privacy and child safety, Erik Neuenchwander, told the committee that “we do not know of a way to deploy encryption technology that provides access only for the good guys without creating new ways for the bad guys to break in,” and pointed to the 2024 Salt Typhoon cyberattack — which exploited access points created under a U.S. lawful access framework — as a warning. “That law was narrower than Bill C-22,” he said. Google’s senior director of privacy, safety and security, Katherine Charlet, warned that the bill’s potentially “boundless” powers carry global implications, since Canadians interact with people worldwide. Both companies called for explicit encryption protections to be written into the bill’s text rather than deferred to future regulations.
The hearing adds to mounting industry pressure on Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, who has “categorically rejected” claims that the bill introduces backdoors, arguing companies have misread its intent. Opponents now include Signal, which has said it would exit the Canadian market rather than comply, multiple VPN providers threatening to relocate, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which warned the bill could deter tech investment. The U.S. House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees also sent a joint letter in May warning of cross-border security risks. Conservative MP Frank Caputo, the party’s public safety critic, said his party would push for amendments specifically protecting encryption before the bill advances to the Senate.