Liberals Push Bill Giving Ottawa Power to Cut Off Your Internet Without a Warrant
Bill C-8, now before Parliament, would hand Ottawa sweeping new powers over Canadians’ internet access. Buried within the bill is a clause amending the Telecommunications Act, which hands the industry minister—now Mélanie Joly—the authority to order telecom giants like Rogers or Telus to cut off internet access for “any specified person.” No warrant, no court approval, no oversight before the fact. A citizen could be cut off from the online world entirely on the minister’s say-so, with judicial review only possible after the order is executed.
The Carney government justifies the bill as a tool to defend against cyber-attacks, hackers, and foreign interference. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree argues it’s about stopping ransomware and hostile state actors. But the scope goes far beyond that. The bill allows the government to direct telecoms to “do anything or refrain from doing anything,” wording critics say could be used to impose mass surveillance, weaken encryption, or force companies to hand over data on Canadians without their knowledge.
This is not an isolated measure. Bill C-8 follows a series of Liberal-championed laws that have steadily tightened federal control over the digital sphere:
The Online News Act (2023) forced social media platforms into deals with news outlets and led Facebook to ban news sharing in Canada altogether.
The Online Streaming Act (2023) put podcasts, YouTubers, and streaming platforms under Canadian content rules — requiring platforms to artificially boost some content while burying others.
While Canada has signed international declarations that internet access is a fundamental human right and even helped found the Freedom Online Coalition to oppose state restrictions, the government is now moving in the opposite direction—claiming emergency powers to decide who can access the internet at all.
Bottom line:
Bill C-8 isn’t just about cybersecurity. It’s about control. By granting ministers unilateral authority to pull internet access and compel telecoms to cooperate in secret, the bill creates a framework for surveillance, censorship, and political targeting. It puts the very foundation of digital freedom in Canada at risk, and it does so under the guise of “protecting” Canadians.
Blendr News/October 2, 2025