Toronto-Based VPN Provider Plans to Quit Canada over Lawful-Access Bill

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Psiphon, a software company spun out of the Citizen Lab that helps internet users living under oppressive regimes evade online censorship, plans to leave Canada if the federal government’s lawful-access bill passes in its current form, reports The Globe and Mail.

If passed, Bill C-22 would require electronic service providers to make secret changes to their systems to provide police services and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) with surveillance and monitoring capabilities.

Psiphon was originally created as a Citizen Lab project in 2006, and became a private company soon afterward. It has 20 million monthly users worldwide that rely on the software to bypass online censorship in countries such as Iran, Myanmar, Russia, and China.

Despite its Toronto roots, the company says it is prepared to move its operations out of Canada if Bill C-22 is passed, as it would be forced to compromise crucial safety features put in place to protect the privacy of its users.

Citizen Lab director and founder Ron Deibert says that Bill C-22 “will make it impossible for a large number of invaluable privacy-preserving tools and applications from operating in Canada.”

This submission analyzes Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, which would enact broad surveillance obligations and reforms in Canada. Issues include: the bill’s sweeping scope, significant constitutional and human rights risks, transparency and accountability deficits, and dangers to encryption and Canada’s cybersecurity. We recommend entirely withdrawing several elements of the bill and suggest amendments to mitigate harms.