OTTAWA – POLITICS 2.0 – Civil liberties groups, privacy experts, and opposition MPs are sounding the alarm over Bill C-2, the federal government’s proposed Strong Borders Act, warning it could drastically expand warrantless surveillance powers in Canada.
If passed, the legislation would allow law enforcement and intelligence agencies—including the RCMP, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and other “public officers”—to request personal information from service providers without a warrant. This could include abortion clinics, hospitals, hotels, car rental agencies, internet providers, and more.
The most contentious clause permits authorities to demand information about whether a person has accessed services from a particular entity, without requiring judicial approval—a move experts warn violates Canadians’ privacy and Charter rights.
What’s in Bill C-2?
The bill authorizes authorities to demand:
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Confirmation of whether services were provided to a specific individual
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The start and end date of those services
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Whether an entity controls “any information” about the person in question
More detailed information would still require a court-issued warrant. However, under the current draft, any Canadian service provider could be legally compelled to provide basic client information on demand—and gagged from disclosing that they had received such a request.
“This power is dangerously broad,” said Tamir Israel, Director of Privacy, Surveillance and Technologies at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). “Even healthcare providers could be subject to secret demands—forced to respond unless they have the resources to mount a legal challenge within five days.”
Civil Liberties and Cross-Border Concerns
Critics say the bill’s vague language opens the door for unprecedented government surveillance.
Kate Robertson, Senior Researcher at the Citizen Lab (University of Toronto’s Munk School), described the bill as “a surveillance framework in waiting.” She warned it could allow agencies to piece together a detailed map of a person’s private life—from medical services and addiction treatment to digital platform use and hotel stays.
A Citizen Lab analysis released June 17 warned the bill could also enable international data sharing, particularly with the United States. While Bill C-2 doesn’t explicitly mention new sharing agreements, it references potential “arrangements with foreign states,” which legal analysts believe may include compliance with the U.S. CLOUD Act and ratification of the Second Additional Protocol (2AP) to the Budapest Convention.
“This looks like legislation crafted to serve U.S. law enforcement interests,” the report stated.
Political Fallout and Opposition Reaction
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has defended the bill, saying its warrantless provisions are “narrow in scope” and Charter-compliant, but critics remain unconvinced.
NDP MP Jenny Kwan, the party’s public safety and immigration critic, called the bill a step toward a surveillance state. “This could allow police to approach any doctor or service provider to find out what other services someone is using—without a warrant,” she said. “Even landlords could be compelled to disclose private information.”
Kwan also criticized the government’s lack of transparency, noting that no Charter analysis has been published for Bill C-2—despite being standard practice since the last election. “Canadians who voted for Mark Carney never signed up for this,” she added.
Privacy Commissioner Reviewing Bill
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has confirmed it is currently reviewing Bill C-2. Meanwhile, civil liberties groups are preparing for potential legal challenges, citing Supreme Court precedent that protects sensitive subscriber data from warrantless access.
With its potential to reshape the boundaries of privacy, oversight, and surveillance in Canada, Bill C-2 is quickly emerging as one of the most controversial federal proposals of 2025.
