New Law Creates ‘Giant Surveillance Map’ of Every Citizen | Dr. Michael Geist

— Bill C-22 would mandate metadata retention for up to 12 months and create language potentially allowing encryption backdoors, raising constitutional concerns under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

— Metadata collection reveals far more than message content—location, contact patterns, timing—creating a "surveillance map" the government acknowledges could track populations in real time.

— Signal and other encrypted services have stated they cannot operate in Canada if forced to retain metadata for a year or break encryption, potentially withdrawing entirely from the country.

— Five Eyes intelligence sharing means American data could be swept into Canadian surveillance nets; the US does not mandate metadata retention in the same way Canada is proposing.

— Canada's "AI for All" strategy and privacy commitments directly contradict the surveillance expansions in Bill C-22, undermining both digital sovereignty and economic competitiveness.

— A social media age ban for under-16s is forthcoming via digital safety legislation; it requires universal age verification (ID, biometrics) and focuses on users rather than platform accountability.

— Canadian residents should contact elected representatives during the summer recess (mid-June to mid-September) before Parliament returns in fall; MPs are more accessible on the riding circuit and can bring constituent concerns back to Ottawa before clause-by-clause committee votes resume.

— Monitor the privacy bill expected to be introduced before Parliament rises; it will detail specifics on data protection and may clarify or constrain the surveillance powers in Bill C-22, making it critical to review before final votes.