Signal warns Canada exit may follow lawful access bill

Signal has warned that it may leave Canada if the country’s proposed lawful access bill forces the company to weaken its privacy tools. 

The warning came from Udbhav Tiwari, Signal’s vice president of strategy and global affairs.

Tiwari said Signal “would rather pull out of the country” than break the privacy promises made to users. He also warned that Bill C-22 “could potentially allow hackers” to target weaknesses built into electronic systems.

Canada says the bill supports law enforcement

Bill C-22, also called the Lawful Access Act, 2026, seeks to update Canada’s rules for digital data access. Parliament records show the bill is now under review by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security after second reading on April 20.

The Canadian government says the bill would help law enforcement and CSIS respond to crime and national security threats. Public Safety Canada says Part 2 does not create new powers to intercept communications, but would make electronic service providers able to comply with existing legal orders.

Moreover, Apple and Meta have also opposed parts of Bill C-22. Reuters reported that both companies warned the bill may force firms to weaken encryption. Public Safety Canada said the law would not require companies to create a “systemic vulnerability.”

Meta said Part 2 of the bill may require companies to build systems that weaken encryption or allow outside surveillance tools. The company asked Canada to amend the bill and add stronger safeguards around encryption and company challenges to government orders.

Windscribe joins privacy backlash

Signal is not alone in warning about a possible exit. Windscribe, a VPN provider based in Canada, said it may follow Signal if Bill C-22 passes in its current form. The company said the proposal may force VPN services to log identifying user data.

The debate has drawn privacy groups into the fight. The Electronic Frontier Foundation said Bill C-22 may require services to retain metadata for one year and warned that metadata can reveal who users contact, when they communicate and where they go.

Canada’s digital rules remain in focus

The dispute comes as Canada works on other digital policy measures. Crypto.news reported in April that Canadian lawmakers advanced Bill C-25, a proposal that would ban crypto donations in federal elections due to concerns over traceability and campaign finance rules.

Bill C-22 is not yet law. It still needs committee review, further House stages, Senate approval and royal assent before taking effect. Signal’s warning now places encryption at the center of Canada’s lawful access debate.