Apple and Alphabet’s Google are pushing to amend an online safety bill working its way through Canada’s parliament to add judicial oversight to what the firms described as a potential for secret orders to break the encryption of their software and devices, reports Reuters.
As of March, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-22, the Support Authorized Access to Information Act (or Lawful Access Act). This proposed law aims to modernize how police and security agencies (CSIS) obtain digital evidence from electronic service providers (ESPs) during investigations, addressing concerns over data privacy, encryption, and the need for faster access to digital evidence.
The Bill C-22 was proposed by Canada’s ruling Liberal Party. Here are key aspects of the bill:
° The bill focuses on ensuring ESPs comply with existing legal orders to provide subscriber information and potentially intercept communications, rather than creating broad new investigative powers.
° It creates a “confirmation of service demand” to help police verify if a service provider holds information related to an investigation.
° It mandates that service providers, including tech and telecom companies, maintain capability to turn over information and keep metadata for up to one year.
The Canadian bill doesn’t explicitly require technology companies to break the encryption of their devices, but Apple, Google and Meta Platforms have all come out in opposition. Reuters notes that the tech firms argue it sets up a regulatory landscape where they could be issued secret orders to build a backdoor into their services or devices without disclosing that backdoor to users or the public.
In testimony before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Tuesday, representatives from Apple and Google both pushed to add explicit protections for encryption and judicial oversight to the bill, reports Reuters.
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