Apple Warns Canada's Bill C-22 Could Force Encryption Backdoors

[MacRumors]

Apple and Meta have opposed a Canadian bill that the companies say could force them to create backdoor access to encrypted user data, should it pass through the country's parliament.

Proposed by Canada's ruling Liberal Party, Bill C-22 contains provisions that could be similar to a UK data access provision order sent to Apple last year, depending on how they are implemented.

Back in February 2025, the British government demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud. Apple refused, and instead pulled its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom.

U.S. officials later said Britain had dropped the request after the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, raised concerns that it could violate a cloud data treaty and tap into US citizens' data.

Apple now finds itself in a similar standoff across the Atlantic. Canadian law enforcement officials say Bill C-22 would help them investigate security threats earlier and act more quickly. But Apple has pushed back against the proposed legislation. The company provided Reuters with the following statement:

"At a time of rising and pervasive threats ‌from malicious ⁠actors seeking access to user information, Bill C-22, as drafted, would undermine our ability to offer the powerful privacy and security features users expect from Apple. This legislation could allow the Canadian government to force companies to break encryption by inserting backdoors into their products – something Apple will never do."

Meta also argued that the bill contained "sweeping powers, minimal oversight, and lack of clear safeguards" that could end up making Canadians less safe, rather than more.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has consistently insisted that providing back-door access past its encryption for authorities would open the door for "bad guys" to gain access to its users' data. Cyber security experts agree that it would only be a matter of time before bad actors discover such a point of entry. Apple's stance was enhanced in 2016 when it successfully fought a US order to unlock the iPhone of a shooter in San Bernardino, California.

The Canadian bill is currently being debated in the House of Commons.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple Warns Canada's Bill C-22 Could Force Encryption Backdoors

 

[Radeon85]

You can't have encryption if there are backdoors; if someone can get in, that means bad people can get it. Absolutely stupid!

 

[Kidseeghost]

"Liberal" Party. Nothing liberal about this.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

It has ALWAYS Been about Control.
It’s very concerning that in another place could have consequences for people in different places due to Laws like that. If it’s allowed to happen then we are also affected here and we will lose our Privacy to our Data on iPhones.

 

[AusMness]

As a Canadian, Apple’s right here

 

[Steve Adams]

"Liberal" Party. Nothing liberal about this.

Don't worry the CONservative party of timbit would have something much worse waiting for you. I don't agree with this one however, Scrap bill C-22.

 

[neuropsychguy]

This is 100% true: "providing back-door access past its encryption for authorities would open the door for 'bad guys' to gain access to its users' data." While that access has the potential for legitimate use (law enforcement, even salvaging otherwise lost data) it is building a security vulnerability into software. What happens if/when government representatives are/become the 'bad actors'? These types of proposed laws produce good soundbites ("think of the children!" or "only criminals will be worried"), but they are usually written without an understanding of the long-term implications or other trade-offs.

 

[nikon1]

Will politicians never learn? This has been tried many different times, in numerous counties and it, so far, has failed!

The whole “straw man” arguments tried; the “child porn,” “sex traffickers,” “national security” and “cryptocurrency scams” are so not worth the threat of a back door that, if implemented, would be cracked in a matter of hours. This results in further loss of trust, both of our personal devices and our governments.

Canada … Pull your heads out of your arses and see the dangers you want to implement.

 

[amartinez1660]

"Liberal" Party. Nothing liberal about this.

The party of “liberties” ain’t it? For free citizens with minimal government? Right…

(also spare me any other party example, all of them like to put their sticky noses and hands in our lives and pockets)

 

[match14]

You know Apple pulled ADP in the uk in February 2025 yet here in May 2026 I still have it turned on.

 

[Steve Adams]

The party of “liberties” ain’t it? For free citizens with minimal government? Right…

(also spare me any other party example, all of them like to put their sticky noses and hands in our lives and pockets)

Actually that would be the CONservatives up here. Not Liberals. Timbit trump lost twice up here already....but they keep him around. Which is fine by me. He's never going to be PM. He's a career politican and was only a paperboy before that. Has no idea of real world living. Always lived on the backs of seperatists, the party and Loony conspiracy theories.
YAY CARNEY!

 

[applicious84]

I'd trust the data thieves before Canada's or any other (neo)liberal governments in the global north anyway.

 

[architect1337]

Don't forget the other state actors that may want a look at your data. It's not just criminals.

 

[crsh1976]

"Liberal" Party. Nothing liberal about this.

The Libs are our softcore version of pro-business lackeys trying to steamroll everything in favour of their corporate overlords.

Yes this bill is an awful, dangerous idea - it's ironic the pushback is coming from the enterprises with a stance on privacy like Apple.