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Canada’s Bill C-22: Why Apple and Meta Oppose the New Encryption Law

May 08, 2026
The bill gives too much power to collect private data.

  • No clear limits  – Companies worry the law can be used broadly without proper oversight.

    • Current Status of Bill C-22

    As of May 2026, Bill C-22 is still under debate. It has not become law yet. The House of Commons is listening to concerns from tech companies, privacy advocates, and legal experts. The final version may change before it passes.

    FAQ Section

    Q1: What does Bill C-22 stand for?
    Bill C-22 is the  Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act (SAAIA) . It is a proposed Canadian law.

    Q2: What can the government do under this bill?
    The Public Safety Minister can order electronic service providers to keep metadata for up to one year. This includes transmission data, device data, routing data, and location data.

    Q3: Why do Apple and Meta oppose the bill?
    They say the bill can force companies to break encryption and insert backdoors. This weakens security for all users and harms privacy.

    Q4: When did Apple and Meta make their statements?
    Apple spoke on 6 May 2026. Meta spoke on 7 May 2026.

    Q5: Is Bill C-22 a law now?
    No. In 2026, it is still under debate in Canada’s House of Commons.

    Q6: What is a backdoor in encryption?
    A backdoor is a secret way to bypass encryption. It lets someone read private messages without the user’s permission.

    Q7: Does this bill affect regular Canadians?
    If passed, the bill can affect anyone who uses messaging apps, email, cloud storage, or social media in Canada. Companies may have to keep records of user activities.

    Exam-Focused Points

    • Bill name:  Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act (SAAIA), also called Bill C-22

    • Country:  Canada

    • Year of debate:  2026 (House of Commons)

    • Key provision (Part 2):  Public Safety Minister can order metadata retention for up to one year

    • Four metadata types:  Transmission data, device data, routing data, location data

    • Opposition:  Apple (6 May 2026) and Meta (7 May 2026)

    • Main concern:  Bill can force companies to break encryption and insert backdoors

    • Encryption definition:  Converting readable information into coded form

    • End-to-end encryption:  Used in messaging and cloud services; keeps data private from service providers

    • Risk of backdoors:  Weakens security for all users; can be exploited by criminals

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