Commentary
Canadians are being asked to accept a quiet but profound transformation in the relationship between citizen and state. Under the banners of cyber security, fighting crime, and protecting children from social media harms, Ottawa is assembling new legal powers that expand government reach into private communications, financial records, location data, and online identities.
Three recent federal measures—Bill C-8, Bill C-22, and Bill C-34—show how this architecture is being constructed, one bill at a time. Each is presented as a measured response to genuine threats. Taken together, they form the foundation of an emerging surveillance state that can resemble the “social credit” system that is now in force in communist China….