Under Mark Carney, the government has made important pro-market moves. But Bill C-22 is the opposite, and represents an assault on both the workings of the market and the individual freedom of Canadians.
A growing number of individuals and institutions are speaking out against Bill C-22, the Liberal government’s lawful access legislation. While the government has sought to downplay criticism, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce effectively summarized the concerns of many, noting that the bill “could be used to require companies to create a back door, which would place encrypted systems at risk.” They also warned that this could deter investment in Canada.
Writing in The Hill Times, Lawrence Zhang, head of policy for the Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness, warned that Bill C-22 could create a backdoor that ill-intentioned hackers could exploit.
Signal – an end-to-end encryption communications provider – has said it would pull out of Canada if made to comply with Bill C-22.
As noted by Lucy Hargreaves, Founder & CEO of Build Canada, Bill C-22 would put Canada in the company of nations that take a restrictive approach to the internet, in contrast with the more restrained approach taken by others:
Apple and Meta have also raised concerns.
Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke said C-22 could be a “death blow to Canadian tech viability”:
Writing for the National Observer, Supriya Dwivedi said: “Kiss your online privacy goodbye with Bill C-22, Canada.”
A move contrary to the pro-market direction of the government
The Carney government has moved Canada in a more pro-market direction. The government has scrapped the consumer carbon tax, scrapped the planned oil and gas emissions cap, taken a pro-data centre stance rather than give in to enviro-luddism, and announced a pipeline deal. There was also a modest tax cut for middle-class Canadians, and a planned capital gains tax hike (which would have punished some of the most productive Canadians) was cancelled. These were all important pro-market moves which will enhance prosperity and expand individual freedom by creating the opportunity that helps people flourish.
Bill C-22 is the exact opposite. It is an assault on the individual freedoms of Canadians, a government imposition on the private sector that will push innovators and investment to freer jurisdictions, and an elevation of the state above both the individual and private sector that recalls the government-centric approach that has caused economic stagnation and a brain-drain for many years.
Being pro-tech means being pro-individual freedom
The Liberal government has sought to portray itself as pro-tech. And I think this is largely genuine. I think the Prime Minister is sincere about wanting Canada to be a nation that ‘builds,’ and AI Minister Evan Solomon seems genuinely excited about the potential of AI, and genuinely willing to use political capital to advance data centre construction. That said, being pro-tech also means being pro-individual freedom. The tech sector moves far too fast for any kind of centralized government control to work, and the attempt to implement such control drives away the kind of ambitious, creative, and free-thinking people that make the tech sector possible in the first place. If the government wants to truly make good on its pro-tech ambitions, it must also be pro-individual freedom and let the free market work.
When it comes to fighting online crime, what Canada needs is a scalpel. Bill C-22 is a bludgeon. It needs to be rejected, scrapped, and the government needs to start over.
Spencer Fernando
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