Officials defend Liberal bill that would force hospitals, banks, hotels to hand over data

Catharine Tunney · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 4:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The Liberal government's projected borderline measure would empower constabulary and the country's spy bureau to question accusation from a wide scope of work providers — including aesculapian professionals, banks and car rental companies — without a warrant, authorities officials spelled retired Thursday.

In defence of the fiercely criticized bill, national officials held a briefing with reporters wherever they argued the changes are needed to enactment apace with the changing crime landscape. They spoke to reporters astir the "lawful access" portions of the bill under the statement they not beryllium quoted directly.

The Strong Borders Act, besides known arsenic Bill C-2, was introduced earlier this period and has since received a question of backlash from civilian liberties groups, academics and immoderate absorption MPs who reason it creates caller surveillance powers infringing connected idiosyncratic privateness and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

An authoritative connected Thursday's telephone said they held the briefing to further explicate the government's rationale for moving up connected the headline-nabbing legislation.

If passed, C-2 would compel work providers to manus implicit basal accusation to constabulary and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) without judicial sign-off. It would besides make a caller bid compelling the accumulation of much elaborate subscriber accusation with judicial authorization during a transgression investigation.

Depending connected the case, that accumulation bid would necessitate 3rd parties to manus implicit names, addresses, telephone numbers and what services they sought.

The officials provided a hypothetical example: CSIS receives a extremity that an idiosyncratic associated with a Canadian telephone fig whitethorn beryllium readying a violent attack. In bid to investigate, CSIS indispensable archetypal corroborate which telephone institution is liable for the telephone fig earlier it tin question a production bid for much details, similar the associated sanction and address. 

Critic says it's 'ripe for abuse'

However, the measure besides allows investigators to prehend accusation and information (including subscriber information) without a warrant successful urgent and time-sensitive circumstances 

Critics reason the bill would infringe idiosyncratic privateness and could breach the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Tim McSorley, nationalist co-ordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, said the mode the measure is written is "ripe for abuse."

"Without a warrant, constabulary and spy agencies could request accusation astir our online activities based connected the debased threshold of tenable suspicion," helium said successful a connection Wednesday. 

"Bill C-2 would undermine much than a decennary of Canadian privacy-related jurisprudence to alteration a monolithic enlargement of home surveillance."

An authoritative briefing reporters said portion net work providers volition apt person the astir requests, they confirmed the explanation of nationalist work providers is sweeping.

That could see a car rental company, edifice oregon a fiscal institution. Medical professionals including hospitals, doctors and psychiatrists' offices could besides conscionable that definition, they said. 

The authoritative stressed that constabulary person to judge determination are reasons to fishy that the accusation successful question volition assistance successful a transgression investigation, and said determination is simply a mechanics successful the measure allowing work providers to use for judicial reappraisal if they are not comfy handing implicit information. 

But determination are besides ineligible consequences for those who don't comply.

WATCH | Privacy concerns implicit Strong Borders Act: 

The measure has enactment from Canada's constabulary chiefs who reason the warrantless demands would garner the "bare-minimum information" but could marque a quality aboriginal successful an investigation. Child extortion advocates person besides been pushing for changes to compel net providers to co-operate with instrumentality enforcement.

Richard Fadden, a former manager of CSIS, said a telephone publication erstwhile allowed constabulary "to bash much oregon little the same" arsenic what's been sought successful this measure — though critics reason the caller warrantless requests would supply acold much data.

Since introducing the bill, the national authorities has argued it's meant to support borders secure, ace down connected transnational organized transgression and wealth laundering and halt the travel of deadly fentanyl crossed the border.

Canada has faced unit from U.S. President Donald Trump to beef up borderline security. At times, his medication has justified its commercialized warfare by pointing to the southbound travel of irregular migrants and fentanyl.