Carney’s Border Bill Called a Trojan Horse for Mass Surveillance

Canada’s new border bill, known as Bill C-2, is being torn apart by critics who say it could become one of the most invasive surveillance laws in Canadian history.

University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist says it’s “Lawful Access on Steroids,” warning the bill gives police and other authorities sweeping powers to demand personal data from nearly anyone—not just telecom companies, but also banks, hotels, doctors, lawyers, libraries, and schools. And they could do it all without a judge’s oversight.

According to Geist, officials from the Department of Justice have confirmed the bill goes far beyond just internet or phone providers. It would allow police to ask any service provider whether someone is a client, what kind of services they received, when, and even where. Providers would be required to disclose that information, and could be banned from telling anyone about it for up to a year.

Critics argue that the bill is designed to operate in total secrecy. There would be no public transparency or reporting requirements for these warrantless demands, especially from smaller organizations like clinics or community groups.

Larger companies like Rogers, Bell and Telus already release annual reports on how often they give law enforcement access to customer data. But under Bill C-2, the scope of who could be forced to share information is so wide that public oversight would essentially disappear. Geist cites data from Rogers that saw info released on 160,036 customers last year, based on court orders or warrants.

The bill also encourages providers to voluntarily share customer information without even receiving a formal demand. In those cases, the companies would be granted full immunity from any legal responsibility. Critics say this opens the door for authorities to quietly request data without leaving any trace—no court order, no demand, no record.

Geist says the entire structure of the bill could be challenged in court because it violates Canadians’ right to privacy. He points to repeated rulings from the Supreme Court affirming that citizens have a reasonable expectation of privacy and that any attempt to sidestep that protection must be backed by judicial oversight—not hidden behind secretive procedures.

OpenMedia Template to Easily Send a Letter to your MP

OpenMedia, the non-profit digital rights group, is also sounding the alarm. They say Prime Minister Mark Carney is selling out Canadian privacy to appease U.S. demands and claim Bill C-2 resembles controversial U.S. and UN surveillance agreements.

In their words, Carney’s first major bill as Prime Minister is a betrayal of Canadian values, disguised as border security but actually enabling mass warrantless data collection. OpenMedia has a template to let Canadians easily send a letter to their local MP.

There’s already growing political resistance, with civil liberties groups, tech experts, and even a former CSIS director warning that Bill C-2 goes too far. While the government insists the bill is lawful and justified, its critics say it’s a privacy disaster waiting to happen and are calling for the surveillance provisions to be scrapped entirely. It’s crazy to think this was tucked within the border bill, but it is possible to push back and tell the feds how you really feel about this.