Title: Minister Considers Amendments to Border Security Legislation

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree expressed a willingness to amend proposed border security legislation aimed at easing police access to Canadians' personal information. During a House of Commons committee meeting, Anandasangaree stated that he hopes the legislation can gain parliamentary approval with the "right type of amendments."

This week, the Liberal government divided its border security bill into two parts. This decision aims to expedite the passage of certain measures while allowing Canadians more time to review the more controversial aspects. The newly introduced Bill C-12 includes provisions from a previous bill that seeks to expand the Coast Guard's role, tighten the immigration and refugee system, enhance information sharing regarding sex offenders, and implement stricter controls on chemicals used in illicit drug production.

The government continues to pursue the contentious elements of the original Bill C-2, which would grant authorities new powers to access personal information and conduct mail searches. These proposals have faced significant opposition from civil society organizations. Critics argue that the legislation could enable police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to demand information about individuals' online accounts with any Canadian organization or service.

Civil liberties advocates warn that the bill would allow authorities, with a warrant, to request an individual's online data, unencrypted emails, and browsing history based solely on "reasonable suspicion," a lower standard than the current requirement of reasonable belief.

After the committee meeting, Anandasangaree emphasized the government's intention to avoid overreach and protect citizens' rights. "I'm willing to do the work with law enforcement, with civil society folks, to build consensus," he told reporters. He acknowledged the need for police to more easily link a phone number to a service provider without requiring a judicial warrant. However, he also expressed concern that such provisions could lead to privacy violations, such as associating individuals with specific medical service providers.

Anandasangaree indicated that the language of the bill may need to be tightened to address these concerns. He stated that authorities seeking information must do so under "very reasonable circumstances" and with appropriate legal tests and safeguards in place.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, who attended the committee meeting alongside Anandasangaree, affirmed their commitment to collaborating with other police forces to advance lawful access measures. "The minister and I had a good conversation, and our intention is to keep on pushing with regards to lawful access," Duheme said.

This report was first published on October 8, 2025.