Canada’s online safety bill could threaten Apple encryption

As the Canadian bill for online safety is being debated in the House of Commons, Apple and Google have shared their desire for judicial oversight and protections for encryption in the bill.

Apple isn’t afraid to pull out the big guns when dealing with overzealous regulators. Just as it had to pull safety features in the UK in response to backdoor requests, it could do the same in Canada.

According to a report from Reuters, Apple and Google representatives both spoke on the bill as it was being debated in the House of Commons. The bill, C-22, is an online safety bill that is meant, in part, to give law enforcement access to encrypted data.

While the bill doesn’t specifically mandate creating encryption backdoors, it doesn’t specify how companies are meant to hand over such data in the first place. If requested, Apple couldn’t give up data that is end-to-end encrypted because it doesn’t have the key.

There is no such thing as a backdoor built only for the good guys.

Google’s director for government affairs and public policy in Canada, Jeanette Patell, stated that the bill could enable officials to request data via secret orders. She said such orders could “severely restrict companies’ ability to be transparent with users about how their data is protected.”

Apple had its turn with Erik Neuenschwander, senior director for user privacy and child safety. A representative asked if Apple would leave Canada if required to build a backdoor.

“I can’t speculate what would happen in that situation,” Neuenschwander said. “Through this engagement and the continued dialogue, we hope to have positive amendments made to the bill.”

If the bill passes as-is, it may be some time before Apple, Google, or Meta are confronted about encrypted data. When that time comes, it will be interesting to see how each might react, and if Apple will truly need to pull out the nuclear option.