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Or sign-in if you have an account.Delgates arrive for the Liberal Party of Canada convention in Montreal on Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Allen McInnis / MONTREAL GAZETTE)There’s something comedically ironic about the Liberal government’s plans to force tech companies to turn over the private data of Canadians. Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorBill C-22, also known as “An Act respecting lawful access,” would give the Government of Canada the ability to do things like turn on the microphone on your mobile devices, without judicial oversight, or force tech companies to create backdoors to encrypted data, among other things. Unsurprisingly, the legislation is causing some uproar in Canada, most notably from American tech companies, who are now leading the charge to kill the bill. This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe reason why it’s so ironic is that the Liberal government has a history of clutching its pearls over everything big tech does, insinuating that it’s bad for Canadian democracy, while simultaneously undermining Canadian democracy by eroding our civil liberties.Take, for example, Steven Guilbeault, Liberal MP and former heritage minister, who argued in 2020 that big tech needs to be regulated because it won’t censor materials that the government of Canada considers harmful to Canadians: “We have free speech in our society, but people can’t say everything,” he said. Around the same time, Guilbeault was also gravely concerned that companies might have access to data he didn’t want them to have. He rightfully observed that there should be regulations around privacy so that people’s rights aren’t being infringed. Guilbeault isn’t the only former Liberal minister who’s shown concerns around data collection and privacy either. Former housing minister and current MP Nate Erskine-Smith has also been a critic of big tech in the House of Commons, where his questions at committee have shown that he understands that there’s a need for privacy to be protected.Pablo Rodriguez, a former MP and heritage minister, has made tech companies a target as well. In a 2022 keynote speech, he suggested that they must be brought to heel: “We can leave it up to big tech … or challenge them to be better, to be more accountable to the public interest, to us, as citizens, and also to us as a society. Platforms have enormous power. And with enormous power comes enormous responsibility.”Former MP and finance minister Chrystia Freeland, through a spokesperson in 2024, spoke out about the need to force companies to pay their “fair share,” justifying the digital services tax her government had enacted. Freeland implied that it was in Canada’s national interest to go after these digital service providers. The digital services tax was rescinded in 2025.This Liberal government has not hesitated to argue that unchecked power from a large overarching body could be a massive threat to Canadian civil liberties and national stability. Why do they think that it’s wrong when big tech does it, but it’s totally fine if they do it instead? In a strange twist of fate, it’s the American tech company Signal that is rightfully calling out the Canadian government for its intrusions into privacy. Earlier this month, it threatened to stop providing service in the country if this bill passes. Honestly, as a Canadian, thank God for them. Do you want to know what is actually a threat to democracy? A government that wants to make it easier to spy on its own citizens. This, unfortunately, has been a trend in Canada for some time, as we are a country that is actively sliding into a larger bureaucracy that gives itself more centralized powers year after year. Take, for example, Bill C-63, which never passed but was intended to create a “digital safety commission” designed to regulate social media platforms. The bill would have also added the crime of “hate speech” to the Criminal Code and raised maximum punishments for hate-related crimes.What was the justification for this legislation in the first place? The government wanted to facilitate “inclusive online participation.”It didn’t die on the order paper because the government saw the error of its ways or because Canadian MPs took a noble stand to defend free speech; it died because the government prorogued Parliament in an attempt to save itself from losing power. Hypocrisy runs rampant in Ottawa and this debacle that we find ourselves in is just another example of the Canadian government living by the concept of rules for thee but not for me. My hope is that history repeats itself, that the government gets pushed back, and that it allows Bill C-22 to die on the vine out of fear of losing power. Who knows, maybe Prime Minister Mark Carney was right when he said, “Intermediate powers like Canada are not powerless. They have the capacity to build a new order that encompasses our values, such as respect for human rights.” However, considering how popular this government is at the moment, I am afraid that will not happen. Follow Robin Skies on TikTok. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.