The Liberal Party of Canada came to power in October of 2015 with a very significant promise in their platform: to reform the notorious spying bill known as Bill C-51.
Presented as anti-terror legislation, Bill C-51 was introduced and rammed through by the previous Conservative government. It handed sweeping and dangerous new powers to Canada’s spy and security agencies.
These powers, which included allowing spy agencies to install spyware on your computer, allowing government institutions to share sensitive health and financial information about you with numerous federal agencies, and permitting spy agencies to disrupt communication platforms and take down websites, were roundly criticized by privacy experts and wildly unpopular amongst people in Canada.
So when the Liberals promised reform, the community watching was large, outspoken and ready to hold them to account.
The process of reform started with a Canada-wide consultation, and this was where the first warning signs that this so-called reform wouldn’t live up to what was promised appeared.
The in-person consultations were called “utterly demoralizing,” while the online consultations were critiqued by experts for biased and leading questions. Despite receiving over 68,000 comments, the government was reluctant to release the actual responses they received. And when they did, it was clear why: the report showed that a vast majority of people in Canada have significant concerns regarding privacy and government accountability with sensitive data, and wanted C-51 to be completely repealed.
The long-awaited reform bill, Bill C-59, was announced in June 2019.
And sadly, the fears that many had about the bill appeared to be realized: instead of fully repealing C-51 or making much-needed key reforms, C-59 just tinkered at the margins while introducing a host of new problems.
While some much-needed improvements were included, it failed to adequately address the information disclosure provisions and terrorist speech offences brought in by Bill C-51. It also brought in new data collection, cybersecurity and mass surveillance powers which further threaten our privacy and security.
Outraged by the broken promises and lack of promised action, thousands upon thousands of people in Canada contacted their MPs, signed petitions and supported calls to fix the bill as it progressed through Parliament and the Senate.
In June 2019, C-59 was passed and received royal assent — almost four years to the day after its predecessor.
The big question: what changes were actually made?…
