Opposition and Tech Giants Urge Amendments to Canada’s Lawful Access Bill Over Encryption Concerns Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree faces pressure from opposition MPs and tech giant Apple to amend Bill C-22, which critics argue could weaken digital encryption and compromise user privacy. Apple warns that the bill could force companies to introduce backdoors, while law enforcement officials defend its necessity for combating crime. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree faced calls from opposition MPs on Tuesday to amend the federal government’s lawful access bill, Bill C-22, to ensure it does not compromise digital encryption. During a meeting of the Commons public safety committee, which is reviewing the bill, the minister was questioned about whether he would accept amendments to prevent the introduction of security vulnerabilities into digital systems. The MPs’ push for stricter language in the bill came as tech giant Apple publicly expressed concerns about its potential impact on encryption and user privacy. Apple, which produces iPhones, iPads, smartwatches, the App Store, and streaming services, relies on encryption to safeguard customers’ personal data.In a statement, the company cautioned that Bill C-22, in its current form, could undermine Apple’s ability to provide robust privacy and security features. The legislation, Apple warned, might compel the Canadian government to force companies to weaken encryption by inserting backdoors into their products—something Apple has vowed never to do. The company reiterated its commitment to cooperating with governments on public safety while staunchly opposing measures that could jeopardize users’ personal data.Apple emphasized that weakening encryption would expose users to greater risks, including unauthorized access to health and financial information, private messages, photos, and family members’ locations. Encryption is also critical for protecting human-rights activists, journalists, and diplomats from unlawful surveillance, identity theft, and fraud. Apple further cautioned that Bill C-22 could enable the government to issue secret orders that weaken encryption, making systems more vulnerable to exploitation by hackers and hostile nation-states.Last year, Apple challenged a British government demand to access encrypted customer data, leading to the removal of its Advanced Data Protection service from Britain. The company reiterated that it has never built and never will build a backdoor or master key for its products. Bill C-22 would require telecoms, internet companies, and other digital service providers in Canada to modify their systems to grant surveillance and monitoring capabilities to law enforcement and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.Tech experts have warned that the bill’s proposed changes could create security flaws in electronic systems, including those of internet and telecom companies. The requirement for core providers—defined later through regulations—to retain metadata for up to a year could also make them attractive targets for hackers. While metadata would not include emails, web browsing history, social-media activity, or text messages, it could include details like call logs and location data.During the committee hearing, MPs questioned ministers and senior federal officials about the metadata retention requirement. Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo expressed concerns that the bill could compromise encrypted communications and asked whether Anandasangaree would support amendments defining encrypted data and the type of metadata to be retained. Anandasangaree responded that the government would collaborate with opposition parties to strengthen the bill, which he described as a priority for law enforcement.He characterized the bill as encryption-neutral, stating that it would provide law enforcement with necessary tools to protect Canadians while upholding their Charter and privacy rights. Justice Minister Sean Fraser added that the bill would enable law enforcement to gather evidence needed to combat crimes such as human trafficking and child exploitation in the digital age.RCMP Chief Superintendent Richard Burchill, director-general of technical investigation services, told the committee that metadata retention could aid in investigations, such as kidnappings, by providing internet transmission data like timestamps, IP addresses, and device identifiers. He noted that metadata, obtained with judicial authorization, could help link individuals to specific locations or times