Apple, Meta Oppose Canada's Bill C22 on Encryption

Apple and Meta have voiced strong opposition to Canada's Bill C22, a proposed law currently under debate in the House of Commons that the companies argue could compel them to weaken end-to-end encryption in their services or install surveillance capabilities.

The bill, introduced in March by the ruling Liberal Party, aims to enhance law enforcement's access to digital evidence. Part 1 establishes a judicial framework for obtaining information in investigations, while Part 2 allows the Public Safety Minister to order electronic service providers, including telecoms, to retain user metadata such as transmission details, device identifiers, location records, and routing information for up to one year. Tech firms contend these provisions could extend to encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage, forcing backdoors or spyware.

Apple issued a statement on May 6, warning that the legislation "would undermine our ability to offer the powerful privacy and security features users expect from Apple." The company added, "This legislation could allow the Canadian government to force companies to break encryption by inserting backdoors into their products, something Apple will never...