Global Push for Encryption Backdoors Threatens Privacy Services
Canada’s proposed C-22 bill, which could force tech firms to add access mechanisms to encrypted services, has prompted companies like Psiphon VPN and Signal to consider exiting the market.
Canada is debating the C-22 bill, which seeks to mandate that technology providers embed “technical capabilities” enabling authorities to retrieve encrypted communications, a move seen as a backdoor. The proposal has already led Psiphon VPN and the Signal app to announce possible withdrawal from the Canadian market, while Apple, Meta, DuckDuckGo and NordVPN are weighing similar actions. The bill also calls for mandatory metadata retention, forcing services to collect information they typically avoid.
Analysts note that comparable surveillance reforms have already been enacted in the UK and Australia, and similar drafts are surfacing across the EU, France, India, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Experts such as Kate Robertson and Afsaneh Rigot argue that weakening encryption jeopardizes essential services and could be replicated globally, eroding trust in privacy-focused platforms. The discussion highlights a growing tension between law-enforcement demands and the need for secure digital infrastructure.
Why it matters
If passed, the bill could force global privacy tools to weaken encryption, affecting users' security worldwide.
In this story
