Ban unauthorized obituary edits

AI summary

Petitioners ask the House to ban changing obituaries without express consent of the author or person authorized by the will, bar undisclosed commercial links, and require regulatory oversight. The government responds that it is acting.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled There are currently websites that rewrite obituaries and post them without the consent of the deceased’s family; These websites then attempt to profit off of people’s grief by including prominent links to sales disguised as remembrance, i.e. “light a candle”, “send flowers”, or to “plant a tree in memory of the deceased”, with all profits going to the website; and These rewritten obituaries often contain factual errors and text that strips all personality from the original obituary, causing significant emotional distress to the family when they are found. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:1. Ban the modification of obituaries without the explicit consent of the individual who authored the original obituary or an individual who was granted power through the deceased’s last will and testament to be responsible for the obituary or other funeral arrangements; 2. Ban any form of sales, donations, or other financial transaction that are not explicitly mentioned in the obituary from appearing alongside the obituary, regardless of medium, except for generic advertisements; 3. Assign an appropriate regulatory authority to oversee reporting and investigation of violations, and create clear instructions for reporting by the public; and 4. Enforce these bans, in the event of any violations, through use of reasonable punishment, such as significant financial penalties and/or website take-downs overseen by the appropriate regulatory authority. 1. Ban the modification of obituaries without the explicit consent of the individual who authored the original obituary or an individual who was granted power through the deceased’s last will and testament to be responsible for the obituary or other funeral arrangements; 2. Ban any form of sales, donations, or other financial transaction that are not explicitly mentioned in the obituary from appearing alongside the obituary, regardless of medium, except for generic advertisements; 3. Assign an appropriate regulatory authority to oversee reporting and investigation of violations, and create clear instructions for reporting by the public; and 4. Enforce these bans, in the event of any violations, through use of reasonable punishment, such as significant financial penalties and/or website take-downs overseen by the appropriate regulatory authority.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, P.C., K.C., M.P. The Government of Canada recognizes the heinous nature of crimes that exploit obituary content for commercial gain and takes such conduct very seriously. These experiences are a powerful reminder of the very real human impact of these practices, particularly for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. No individual or family should have to endure the distress of seeing a loved one’s memory altered or used for profit. Practices such as the unauthorized rewriting of obituaries and the addition of undisclosed commercial content can cause emotional harm, spread misinformation, and erode public trust. The Government takes these concerns seriously and agrees that obituary notices must be treated with the respect, accuracy, and integrity that they deserve. Fraud is a rapidly growing and increasingly sophisticated crime in Canada that causes financial, emotional, and psychological harm to individuals and businesses alike. In Canada, responsibility for investigating fraud involving individuals and businesses generally rests with police of jurisdiction, reflecting the constitutional division of powers. The Government works closely with provincial, territorial, and municipal law enforcement partners and supports fraud investigations through federal capabilities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) authority to enforce fraud-related offences under the Criminal Code, as well as intelligence and reporting resources such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) and the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3). The CAFC, which plays a critical role in educating the Canadian public and supporting victims, serves as Canada’s central repository for fraud reporting and intelligence, providing analysis and intelligence to assist law enforcement agencies in their investigations. Similarly, the NC3 serves as the national hub for cybercrime reporting, investigations, intelligence, and coordination, supporting law enforcement efforts and working with domestic and international partners to address threats such as cyber-enabled fraud. Together, the CAFC and NC3 launched a new national cybercrime and fraud reporting system in 2025 that enables Canadians to report incidents directly to law enforcement and helps police build a more complete picture of the fraud threats affecting Canadians. Beyond enforcement, Canada also prioritizes prevention through public awareness initiatives such as Fraud Prevention Month, supported by the 60-member Fraud Prevention Forum, which brings together partners across sectors to raise awareness and strengthen collective action against fraud. Due to the international dimensions of fraud schemes, strong international cooperation is essential. The Government of Canada works collaboratively with partners to counter financial crime and organized fraud. Canada participates in a variety of international law-enforcement networks that can continue to be leveraged, including the Global Anti-Fraud Enforcement Network and the Joint Cybercrime Action Task Force at Europol. Public Safety Canada plays a key role in advancing Canada’s international engagement to combat fraud, including through the Global Fraud Summit. At the 2026 Global Fraud Summit, Canada endorsed a communiqué recognizing fraud as an escalating global threat and is supporting 2026 outcome documents, including a Call to Action and a Global Public-Private Partnership Framework, to strengthen coordinated international and cross-sector responses. These efforts reaffirm our global law-enforcement action and international collaboration, while reinforcing public confidence in our collective ability to keep Canadians safe. The Government of Canada recognizes the growing threat posed by rapidly evolving technologies, which are increasingly being exploited by criminals to perpetrate sophisticated fraud schemes at an unprecedented scale and speed. Emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence can lower barriers to criminal activity, enable impersonation and deception, and make it more difficult for consumers and law enforcement to detect and prevent fraud. To address these evolving risks, the Government is advancing legislative measures, including Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, which will strengthen Canada’s response to combat organized crime by modernizing justice tools, improving information-sharing, and addressing tactics used by transnational criminal networks and ensure that Canada’s legal framework remains responsive to new and emerging forms of fraud and financial crime. Building on legislative reform, the Government has taken concrete operational and funding measures to significantly strengthen Canada’s ability to counter fraud. The Government is strengthening its response to fraud and financial crime through the development of Canada’s first-ever National Anti-Fraud Strategy. Bringing together partners across governments, the private sector, law enforcement, and civil society, the Strategy will identify new policy and operational measures to combat increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes while building on existing initiatives and partnerships, including industry-led efforts such as the Canadian Anti-Scam Coalition. These measures are complemented by targeted investments to enhance law enforcement capacity, including the addition of 150 RCMP personnel dedicated to combating financial crimes such as online fraud. In parallel, the Government is prioritizing action against extortion and financial crime by leveraging the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada to support law enforcement investigations. The Government of Canada affirms that the safety, dignity, and well-being of all Canadians remain central to its public safety agenda and core responsibilities. Fraud and deceptive schemes that exploit vulnerable individuals, including those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, have no place in Canada, and the Government is committed to strengthening measures that protect Canadians from such harmful conduct.