Bill C-26: Rights Groups Oppose Canada's New Critical Infrastructure Protection Law

In June 2022, the federal government introduced its first-ever federal cyber security law of general application aimed at protecting critical infrastructure. The reaction was, at first, muted but positive. The bill has not moved past first reading, and since Gowling WLG's initial review of the bill, damning critiques of the bill have emerged from many groups.

What does Bill C-26 do?

Bill C-26, formally titled An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts, implements positive cyber security (as opposed to privacy) obligations on operators of critical infrastructure. There are two portions to the bill:

1. Amendments to the Telecommunications Act: C-26 amends the federal Telecommunications Act to allow the federal government to impose obligations on telecommunications service providers to "secure the Canadian telecommunications system"; and