Some of the biggest names in the VPN space are telling the federal government to take a hike rather than play ball with new proposed legislation, and it’s shaping up to be a real fight.
Windscribe, based in Toronto, and NordVPN have both come out swinging against Bill C-22, saying it would blow up the privacy protections their entire business is built on. Windscribe didn’t mince words, warning the bill would turn VPNs into the very thing their users are trying to avoid: “In its current state, VPNs would almost certainly require us to log identifying user data.”
That’s a bigger problem for Windscribe than it is for the likes of private messaging app, Signal, which has said it’s ready to ditch Canada over Bill C-22. Signal isn’t Canadian, so it could just flip off its local servers and move on.
Windscribe is actually based in Canada, which means it’s stuck choosing between following the law or getting out. They’ve made it pretty clear which way they’re leaning. “Not happening. We’ll move HQ and take our taxes elsewhere,” the company said on Thursday. “If we start logging our users to comply with this moronic legislation then we might as well shut our doors ourselves. Who wants a privacy VPN that logs its users?” And if the bill passes? “We won’t be far behind if C-22 passes.”
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney caught wind of Windscribe’s stance and jumped in with a simple “thanks for defending liberty.”
VPN giant NordVPN also weighed in on Friday. They’re still going through the draft and say they want to be part of the consultation process, but they were clear that their no-logs policy isn’t something they’re willing to budge on. “Should Bill C-22 pass in its current form and if we are subjected to mandatory obligations, there isn’t a scenario in which we would compromise our no-logs architecture or encryption protections.” If it comes down to it, they say they’ll look at “all viable options, including limiting or, if necessary, removing our presence from Canadian jurisdiction.”
Apple and Meta have already made it clear to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government they are not willing to turn devices into spy devices, should Bill C-22 pass. Apple said the legislation would essentially allow Ottawa to insert a backdoor to break encryption on products. Meta warned the bill would could force providers to install government spyware into systems. More importantly, Meta also pointed out the bill would limit tech investment and innovation in Canada.
University of Ottawa Law Professor Michael Geist said today, “No conspiracy theories needed: the government says C-22 is a first step, and police told committee on the record that 36 months of metadata retention would be ideal. This would create a comprehensive surveillance map of virtually every Canadian.”
Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke added, “C-22 is looking like a huge mistake. It worries me a great deal. There is so much nonsense in there that It may well end up dealing a death blow to Canadian tech viability.”
What do you think of Ottawa’s proposed Bill C-22? You know the U.S. is not going to like this as it forces the hands of big American tech, once again.
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