QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Digital Privacy
May 10, 2023
My question is for the Government Representative.
The United States and the United Kingdom are both working on laws that could have a serious impact on end-to-end encryption online. While I understand the appeal of breaking encryption as a way to fight crime or root out terrorism, end-to-end encryption can also be a way to protect our most private conversations, including conversations about health care and abortion.
Indeed, a growing academic consensus, led by cybersecurity scholars such as Stanford’s Riana Pfefferkorn, argues that data protection and privacy are essential to safely accessing reproductive health care in our digital age.
My question to the Government Representative is this: With Canada’s own online harms bill in the offing, will the government commit to strong protection for end-to-end encryption to help protect Canadians’ privacy and health information?
Thank you for your question.
The protection of privacy and Canadians’ data is fundamental. Laws are in place and further laws that will address this subject are forthcoming. Indeed, Bill C-27, which is in the other place, introduces more robust measures around areas including privacy, which I would underline.
With regard to the specific question about end-to-end encryption, I’m not in a position to commit the government. I will certainly make inquiries to see what the status is of the deliberations on that particular issue.
