Liberals face criticism over bill easing police access to communications data

The Liberal government is facing criticism for moving quickly on Bill C22, a proposed law that would make it easier for police and intelligence agencies to access certain private communications data during investigations. Civil liberties groups Citizen Lab and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said the bill is likely unconstitutional and urged major changes, while opposition MPs also said the committee review has been too rushed. The government wants the bill passed before Parliament rises for the summer. The legislation would lower the legal threshold for accessing basic subscriber information and could require some service providers to build systems that can provide data to investigators with a warrant. Critics, including major tech firms and privacy advocates, say the proposal could weaken encryption and expand surveillance powers.