Michael Geist

Government Reverses on Bill C-2: Removes Lawful Access Warrantless Demand Powers in New Border Bill - Michael Geist The government today reversed course on its ill-advised anti-privacy measures in Bill C-2, introducing a new border bill with the lawful access provisions (Parts 14 and 15) removed. The move is welcom...

There is always a risk government moves forward later with lawful access, a law enforcement policy dream that seemingly never dies. But for now, this is a huge, embarrassing reversal. After months of defending warrantless access, it is moving on without it.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/gove...

Government Reverses on Bill C-2: Removes Lawful Access Warrantless Demand Powers in New Border Bill - Michael Geist The government today reversed course on its ill-advised anti-privacy measures in Bill C-2, introducing a new border bill with the lawful access provisions (Parts 14 and 15) removed. The move is welcom...

The government saw the writing on the wall: no support for Bill C-2 lawful access rules that would have created new warrantless access demand powers. My post on today's embarrassing reversal that must be accompanied by a commitment to prioritize privacy.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/gove...

Why The Recent TikTok Privacy Ruling Swaps Privacy for Increased Surveillance - Michael Geist Last month, federal privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne, alongside his provincial privacy counterparts from Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia, released the results of a multi-year investigation...

Why The Recent TikTok Privacy Ruling Swaps Privacy for Increased Surveillance: privacy commissioners mandate better privacy through facial scanning, speech monitoring, and an AI based “passive underage detection model”?!
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/why-...

Reflecting on October 7th: The Antisemitism Red Alert Warning Won’t Stop Buzzing - Michael Geist Late on Friday, October 6, 2023, I was dozing after a family Sabbath dinner meal when I was suddenly awoken by the continuous buzzing of the Tzofar red alert app on my phone and watch. I had installed...

Last October 7th, I wrote about an imaginary antisemitism alert warning that wouldn’t stop buzzing. As we mark two years since the Hamas terror attacks, it sadly continues with relentless, open antisemitism manifesting in ways I never thought possible in Canada.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/10/refl...

And there it is. Notice paper includes a new border measures bill suggesting that the government is backing down on including lawful access in Bill C-2. Perhaps the privacy backlash + lack of support in a minority government had an impact.
www.ourcommons.ca/documentview...

Government to table new border bill amid privacy concerns over C-2: sources | CBC News The federal Liberals are set to introduce a new bill expected to mirror much of what's in their already tabled border legislation — but with some clauses that sparked concerns from opposition parties ...

CBC reporting that the government may be backing down for now on lawful access provisions in Bill C-2 with a new border bill to be introduced this week.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Conservatives won't support Liberal border bill without major changes: Pierre Poilievre | CBC News Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the federal Liberals must either heavily amend their border bill or introduce a new piece of proposed legislation if they want support to pass it into law.

"We've told Liberals that their current Bill C-2 will not pass unless they remove the violations of Canadians' individual freedoms and privacy"

Pierre Poilievre gets it right on lawful access. All parties should reject warrantless access to personal information.

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Michael Geist: Why the recent TikTok privacy ruling swaps privacy for increased surveillance

My The Hub piece on the recent TikTok privacy decision. Children’s privacy is essential, but never thought I’d see day where privacy commissioners require Internet platforms to increase surveillance of their users including facial scanning and AI analysis of passive users.
thehub.ca/2025/10/06/m...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 245: Kate Robertson on Bill C-2’s Cross-Border Data Sharing Privacy Risks - Michael Geist Bill C-2, the government’s proposed lawful access legislation, has been the subject of several prior episodes covering warrantless disclosure of information as part of the new information demand power...

Much the Bill C-2 focus involves the warrantless disclosure demand powers. But the implications for mandated data sharing across borders and intersection with the US Cloud Act needs greater attention. @kate-ro.bsky.social joins my Law Bytes podcast to discuss.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/10/law-...

Government launches consultation on new AI strategy. This one has a tight timeline - responses due by the end of the month. Can respond to a survey or offer comments. Says it expects the new strategy to be developed by the end of the year.
ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en...

Trump says U.S. to impose 100% tariff on movies made outside the country U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would impose a 100 per cent tariff on all foreign-made movies, an unprecedented move that threatens to upend Hollywood’s global business model.

Don’t really know what tariffing a movie means in this context, but implications are potentially huge for Canada if they figure it out.
www.ctvnews.ca/world/trumps...

It has been an exceptionally challenging year for the Jewish community in Canada, facing antisemitism most of us never imagined possible. Wishing all who celebrate a Shana Tova with hope for a happy, healthy and safe new year in which we all work to bring this normalcy of antisemitism to an end.

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 244: Kris Klein on the Long Road to a Right to be Forgotten Under Canadian Privacy Law - Michael Geist The “right to be forgotten” – perhaps better characterized as a right to de-index -  has been a hotly debated privacy issue for well over a decade now, pitting those that argue that the harms that may...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 244: Kris Klein on the Long Road to a Right to be Forgotten Under Canadian Privacy Law
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/09/law-...

Government’s proposed Criminal Code reform in Bill C-9 targets “intent to provoke a state of fear in a person in order to impede their access to” places of worship, community centres, educational institutions, daycares, senior residences, and cemeteries.
www.parl.ca/DocumentView...

Important read:

“a faculty association should avoid adopting political positions unless expressly authorized in its constitution: the political line in the sand is spelled out in the constitution.”
www.caut.ca/bulletin/con...

If you relied on Liberal MP Judy Sgro's analysis of lawful access in Bill C-2 in the House of Commons yesterday, you wouldn’t know the bill also includes a warrantless information demand power and applies to all providers of services, not just digital data.
www.ourcommons.ca/documentview...

Government Doubles Down in Defending Bill C-2’s Information Demand Powers That Open the Door to Warrantless Access of Personal Information - Michael Geist The return of the House of Commons from the summer break brings with it a resumption of debate on government bills. Topping the list this week is Bill C-2, the omnibus border measures bill, that burie...

Debate resumed yesterday on Bill C-2, the border measures bill that includes dangerous warrantless access provision in revived lawful access rules. It did not go well as government MPs downplayed the privacy risks that have sparked widespread criticism.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/09/gove...

Mise au point de Radio-Canada concernant une analyse diffusée sur ICI RDI La direction de l'Information fait le point sur une intervention sur les ondes d'ICI RDI le 15 septembre 2025.

Radio-Canada suspends journalist for analysis that included “stereotypical, antisemitic, erroneous and prejudicial allegations against Jewish communities”
ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/219...

Director Barry Avrich on his Oct. 7th Film and the TIFF Censorship Controversy

Barry Avrich speaks to Steve Paikin about TIFF and treatment of Road Between Us documentary. Two items of note:
1. Despite TIFF’s denials, effectively confirms request to get clearance for Hamas October 7th footage (10:40)
2. Silence from Canadian producers (27:00)
open.spotify.com/episode/2w2k...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 243: What Are Canada’s Digital Policy Plans as Parliament Returns from the Summer Break? - Michael Geist The return of the Law Bytes podcast series this week coincides with the return of Parliament from its summer break. Digital policy may not be at the very top of the legislative agenda, but there are n...

The return of my Law Bytes podcast series coincides with the return of Parliament from its summer break. This week’s episode looks ahead to the coming session including lawful access, online harms, and privacy and artificial intelligence regulation.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/09/law-...

'The Road Between Us' Oct. 7 film wins TIFF documentary People's Choice Award TORONTO — A controversial documentary about a retired Israeli general's rescue mission on Oct. 7 has won the People's Choice Award for best documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival.

From the shameful decision to remove the film and change its name to winning people’s choice for best documentary
www.timescolonist.com/the-mix/the-...

🎉 Big milestones deserve big celebrations!

Join us on October 3rd to celebrate 25 years of technology law, ethics and policy at @uottawa.ca and the 15th anniversary of the @cdtsuottawaclts.bsky.social. 🎉

Registration is now open!

› www.uottawa.ca/research-inn...

Carney government introducing bill to protect people entering religious, cultural buildings | CBC News Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is expected to introduce legislation as early as Tuesday to crack down on people willfully intimidating and obstructing individuals entering places of worship, ...

Sounds like federal bubble zone legislation coming next week. Much needed given the violence and threats that have targeted schools, community centres, and places of worship.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Opinion: After 20 years working in Canada’s cultural sector, I can finally speak out without fear The cultural world is full of enforcers: art schools, universities, arts associations and provincial and federal funders. All conspire to instill proper thinking

“The cultural world is full of enforcers in 2025: art schools, universities, arts associations and, most brutal and rigid, provincial and federal funders. All conspire to instill proper thinking.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Dr. @mgeist.bsky.social is a uOttawa Law Prof. & Cda Research Chair in Internet/E-commerce Law. His work has shaped 🇨🇦 digital policy. He hosts Law Bytes, serves on many boards incl. Internet Archive Cda, and is a recipient of the Order of Ontario.

Meet Our Board: internetsociety.ca/what-we-do/#...

Globe editorial: Tweets and platitudes will not defeat antisemitism The federal government needs to take immediate legislative action to protect Jewish Canadians

"The time for simply bemoaning that hate is “not who Canadians are” is long past. The Jewish community needs protection, not tweets and platitudes."

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...

Right to Be Forgotten Findings Raise Issues About Privacy Commissioner's Powers and Canadian Privacy Law Reform Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has released a set of findings that recognize a right to be forgotten (RTBF) under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

.@teresascassa.bsky.social: Right to Be Forgotten Findings Raise Issues About Privacy Commissioner's Powers and Canadian Privacy Law Reform
teresascassa.substack.com/p/right-to-b...

Grocery Shopping While Jewish - Michael Geist In my family, it was always the “kosher Loblaws.” Featuring Ottawa’s only large kosher food section, the Loblaws location at College Square in the west end of the city is our destination several times...

My local grocery store has a bullet proof vested security guard at the entrance after a stabbing that police are investigating as a hate motivated crime. My op-ed piece on the rise of antisemitism in Canada and inevitable shift of violent words to violent action.
www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/09/groc...

“Jews make up slightly more than 1% of Canada’s population, but are victims of 70% of reported religious-based acts of hate.”
How is it that the majority of Liberal MPs didn’t sign this letter? Why is fighting antisemitism seemingly determined by constituency demographics?
bsky.app/profile/benc...

Just back from the Loblaws where the attack took place this week. Bullet proof vested security guard now at the entrance. Never would have imagined requiring security in Canada in order for Jewish customers to safely shop for kosher groceries.
bsky.app/profile/mgei...