A new report from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is warning that Canada is facing a “privacy collapse” as Ottawa moves to dramatically expand its surveillance powers through proposed federal legislation.The report, titled Privacy collapse: Canada’s expanding surveillance state, was authored by former Western Standard Opinion Editor Nigel Hannaford. It argues Canada is undergoing a structural shift toward centralized digital identity systems and expanded government monitoring that threatens citizens’ privacy, autonomy and dignity.Central to the report’s concerns are Bill C-2, known as the Strong Borders Act, and Bill C-8, An Act respecting cyber security. According to the Justice Centre, both bills would significantly broaden the federal government’s ability to access personal information — in many cases without judicial oversight.The report states the proposed measures build on existing surveillance infrastructure and follow the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act in 2022, when bank accounts were frozen without warrants and financial information was shared with authorities during the Freedom Convoy protests.Among the key findings highlighted in the report is the prospect of warrantless access to private data. It says Bills C-2 and C-8 would allow government agencies to compel telecommunications companies, financial institutions and other service providers to hand over subscriber information, metadata and even private communications such as text messages and emails without first obtaining a warrant. In some cases, affected Canadians might not even be notified..The report also raises alarm about what it describes as secret government orders and forced digital disconnection. Under Bill C-8, federal officials could issue confidential, binding ministerial orders to telecommunications providers and operators of critical infrastructure. These directives could require companies to remove products, restrict services, access private systems, weaken encryption or disconnect individuals from digital networks — all without public transparency or meaningful court oversight.Further concerns centre on expanded financial and identity surveillance. The Justice Centre argues that broader data-sharing powers, combined with financial monitoring tools and limits on cash transactions, could enable persistent tracking of Canadians’ financial activity.Taken together, the report warns these measures risk creating an integrated “surveillance web” linking identity, finances, communications and online activity into a centralized system capable of comprehensive monitoring..Hannaford cautioned that once surveillance infrastructure is established, it rarely disappears.“Privacy is not secrecy. It is the foundation of personal autonomy, dignity, and freedom. Expanding warrantless surveillance powers risks permanently altering the relationship between Canadians and the state,” he said.He added that Canadians should think carefully about the long-term consequences of legislation introduced in the name of public safety.“Surveillance infrastructure, once built, rarely disappears. Canadians must carefully consider whether policies introduced in the name of safety may ultimately weaken the freedoms they are meant to protect.”The Justice Centre is calling on governments to strengthen privacy protections, ensure meaningful judicial oversight over surveillance powers and safeguard Canadians’ ability to communicate, conduct financial transactions and live their lives free from unjustified state monitoring.
