Episode 282: Udbhav Tiwari on Why Signal May Exit Canada Over Bill C-22’s Encryption and Metadata Retention Rules

A Senate committee has begun hearings into Bill C-22, the government’s lawful access bill that requires a wide range of services to disclose subscriber information, retain metadata for months, and install government-mandated surveillance capabilities. In response, a growing number of companies have said they cannot comply and would exit Canada or withdraw services from the country. One of the best known companies on that list is Signal, the popular messaging app with billions of users worldwide relying on its app and protocols to ensure secure, private communications. Udbhav Tiwari is Signal’s VP Strategy and Global Affairs. He joins me on the Law Bytes podcast to break down Bill C-22, explain what concerns remain, and discuss next steps if the bill remains unchanged.