Withdraw Bill C-2
Petitioners ask the House of Commons to withdraw Bill C-2 immediately, protect Canadians’ privacy and rights, forbid foreign access to Canadians’ data, and ensure meaningful judicial oversight. The government responds that it has introduced Bill C-22 to revise C-2 and says those revisions aim to reflect consultations and protect privacy under existing authorities.
Why we would sign this petition
- Withdrawing C-2 would halt provisions petitioners say allow warrantless access and compelled disclosure of sensitive data, directly protecting privacy and civil liberties.
- It would block steps petitioners link to alignment with the U.S. CLOUD Act and the Cybercrime Convention, reducing the risk of foreign access to Canadians’ personal data.
- It would force lawmakers to require meaningful judicial oversight and explicit Charter safeguards in any border or security law before enactment.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The government says it has introduced Bill C-22 to revise C-2 and claims those revisions respond to stakeholder input and aim to protect privacy; withdrawing C-2 would discard proposed fixes.
- Removing C-2 entirely may impede tools the government says law enforcement and border agencies need to investigate national-security and border threats.
- A full withdrawal could forgo negotiated amendments (via C-22 and consultations) that might better balance privacy protections with legitimate security needs.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons Bill C-2, titled the “Strong Borders Act”, contains provisions that threaten fundamental rights and freedoms protected under Canadian and international law; The Bill would grant law enforcement and national security agencies warrantless access to Canadians’ historical associations with organizations and businesses; It would allow authorities to compel the disclosure of sensitive personal information, including geolocation data and contact details, based merely on suspicion of relevance to the investigation of offences under Acts of Parliament, regardless of individual involvement; The Bill is designed to facilitate Canada's alignment with the United States' CLOUD Act and the United Nations Cybercrime Convention, raising serious concerns about foreign access to Canadians’ private data, including by regimes with poor human rights records; and Bill C-2 undermines Canada’s obligations under international human rights instruments, particularly in relation to privacy rights and the fair treatment of migrants and refugees. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to: 1. Immediately withdraw Bill C-2 in its entirety; 2. Reaffirm Canada’s commitment to privacy, civil liberties, and international human rights standards; 3. Reject any legislative or policy initiatives that would enable foreign states, including the United States, to gain undue access to Canadians’ personal information; and 4. Ensure that national security and border-related legislation upholds the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is subject to meaningful judicial oversight.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by The Parliamentary Secretary Patricia Lattanzio The Government is committed to advancing legislative reforms to ensure that investigative bodies responsible for investigating crime and threats to national security and protecting our borders have the tools they need. These reforms are designed to comply with the rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter) and align with international legal standards. That’s why, on March 12, 2026, the Government introduced Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, which proposes significant revisions to the provisions that were found in Part 14 of Bill C-2, An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of the border between Canada and the United States and respecting other related security measures. These revisions, which are found in Part 1 of Bill C-22, respond to stakeholder input received during the roundtables hosted by the Minister of Public Safety in December 2025 and January 2026. These consultations included civil liberty and privacy advocates, academics, industry, victims’ advocates and the police. The tools proposed in C-22 build on existing Criminal Code and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act authorities. They are carefully designed to ensure appropriate protection for the privacy interests of impacted persons and provide law enforcement agencies with appropriate tools to fulfill their mandates.