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The following is a verbatim copy-and-paste of an email I wrote to my Member of Parliament about the privacy-infringing Bill C-22, 'Lawful Access Act, 2026', that is being considered as a new law.

The email was sent approximately a day before the Toronto Star broke the story that the Canadian Government is cozying up to foreign plutocrat Peter Thiel's rather undeniably evil Palantir corporation, putting the data of all Canadians at extreme risk. I would suggest that such a deal also puts the sovereignty of our nation at risk.

I have not yet received a reply. I am considering sending a follow-up based on the new revelations.

Sent May 25, 2026, at 7:01PM PT

Dear Ms. Stephanie McLean, M.P.:

Canadians deserve privacy, and technology companies have been dropping the ball on this since day one. Particularly foreign technology companies. Their lapses of protection have not been sufficiently brought to heel. They have proven time and again that they refuse to be safe stewards of Canadians' data.

Yet, Bill C-22, from my understanding, mandates invasive data gathering & retention on all Canadians. The data storage will be overseen by these same companies, and also handed to foreign governments without sufficient judicial oversight.

This is terrible for every Canadian. You must oppose C-22. Vote NO. In fact, if possible, please work to withdraw it entirely.

Tech companies should be obligated to uphold the privacy of users, not be mandated to violate that privacy.

We, as a culture, need to start treating data retention the same way we treat toxic waste: a liability. Something to be minimized, not mandated.

Much like toxic waste, once private corporations get involved, data WILL leak, and it WILL ruin everyone's day - and in some cases, ruin their entire life or put them at risk from foreign agents. It will expose people to identity theft, fraud, targeted phishing, stalking, and persecution.

In terms of impact to the Canadian economy, I know of at least one business that will - due to the fundamentally secure and privacy-affirming nature of its technology - be forced to cease providing service to Canadians if this law passes. I suspect there are more companies that would have to do the same, and others that would have to exclude Canada from their investment and expansion plans.

It's a bad bill. Vote no.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Boyd

[... signature removed ...]

For more information about Bill C-22, including many discussions of the potential dangers, I've compiled a lengthy list:

• OpenMedia.org: No to Surveillance: Stop Bill C-22
• EFF.org: Salt Typhoon Hack Shows There's No Security Backdoor That's Only For The "Good Guys"
• OpenMedia.org: Ottawa Repackages Its Surveillance Backdoor in Bill C-22
• iPhoneInCanada.ca: Canada Alert: Feds Try Again to Build Backdoors Into Apps and Telecoms
• MichaelGeist.ca: A Tale of Two Bills: Lawful Access Returns With Changes to Warrantless Access But Dangerous Backdoor Surveillance Risks Remain
• Justice Centre for Consitutional Freedoms + Epoch Times: ‘Grave Threat to Privacy’: Resistance to Lawful Access Bill Mounts
• CBC.ca: Committee studying lawful access bill urged to protect encryption, balance privacy with police needs
• GlobalNews: Apple, Google say lawful access bill could undermine user safety, privacy (Given what I said above, take tech co input with a grain of salt, but still. They have a point.)
• TheWalrus.ca: Trump Wants to Tap Your Phone. Ottawa Might Let Him
• CTVNews.ca: Privacy czar, tech giants call for changes to contentious digital evidence access bill (Caution: Video may autoplay)
• TheGlobeAndMail.com: Yanik Guillemette Warns Bill C-22 Could Trigger a Major Tech Investment Exodus From Canada
• TailScale: Canada’s Bill C-22 and the security cost of collecting more data
• GlobalNews.ca: Lawful access bill could lead to exit from Canada, major VPN provider says
• TheGlobeAndMail.com via web.archive.org: Signal warns it would pull out of Canada if made to comply with lawful access bill
• TheStar.com: Ottawa’s latest deal with U.S. data giant Palantir raises warnings

I did exclude a few links that were a bit more neutral on the subject, I'll admit. One because it looked sketchy af, and another because it approached Futurama's "Beige Alert" joke for total neutrality - thus becoming a bit unbelievable.

I don't know how effective my voice will be in matters such as this, but there are other pieces of quite disagreeable legislation coming down the pike. I will surely voice my concerns about those, as well.

(And what's with the fucking pipelines? Knock that shit off. Oil is dead. We must divest.)