Lawful access has long been associated with establishing the rules under which telecom and Internet companies may be required to disclose subscriber information, retain metadata, and install government-mandated surveillance capabilities. Yet the start of the Senate hearing on Bill C-22 this week confirmed again that the bill is about far more than telecom and Internet companies, with government officials acknowledging that the Canadian bill uses broader language than any of the comparable countries they examined. What emerges is surveillance by design, with the bill deliberately structured to cover an exceptionally wide range of services, including gaming platforms with chat functions and AI services. Moreover, the new subscriber information production order covers any service provider, as the Senators discussed the possibility of even scoping in daycare centres.
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Episode 281: Mikołaj Barczentewicz on Europe’s Digital Sovereignty Push, CADA, and the Implications for Canada
byMichael Geist

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