Canada on the Brink: Carney Government’s Surveillance Bills Threaten Civil Liberties

Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada faces an unprecedented expansion of government surveillance. A legislative wave — including Bills C-2, C-8, C-9, and the revived Online Harms Act — threatens to erode fundamental freedoms, giving bureaucrats sweeping powers over Canadians’ private lives.

If passed, these bills could allow:

• Warrantless searches of phones, laptops, and mail

• Monitoring of personal purchases and cash transactions

• Punishment for online posts and speech deemed offensive or dangerous

• Pre-crime detention or house arrest for potential future offenses

Bill C-2: The “Strong Borders” Act – Surveillance in Disguise

While named the Strong Borders Act, Bill C-2 empowers government employees — not law enforcement — to search phones, open mail, and seize digital data without a warrant.

Josh Carpay of the Justice Centre warns:

“C-2 should be called the Strong Surveillance Act. It criminalizes cash transactions over $10,000 and allows bureaucrats to conduct warrantless searches of computers and cell phones. It’s a massive invasion of privacy and extremely dangerous.”

By limiting high-value cash transactions, the bill also nudges Canada toward a fully digital economy, where every financial move is traceable by the state.

Bill C-8: Bureaucratic Control Over Speech

Bill C-8 expands federal oversight from finances to communication. Cabinet ministers could remove Canadians from online platforms, demand private data, and impose fines — all without judicial review.

Carpay explains:

“You’re gonna see a Digital Safety Commission with a vast army of bureaucrats enforcing federal regulations, essentially policing speech under the guise of safety.”

The legislation could create a digital iron curtain, silencing dissent and limiting access to public discourse.

Bill C-9: Expanding Criminalization of Speech

Bill C-9 gives the Justice Centre broader power to prosecute “hate” speech — a term left deliberately undefined. This vagueness risks turning controversial or politically sensitive opinions into criminal acts, undermining Canada’s free speech tradition.

Online Harms Act: Pre-Crime Enforcement

The revived Online Harms Act introduces a chilling concept: punishing citizens for crimes they might commit. Under its provisions, Canadians could face:

• House arrest or curfews

• Ankle bracelets or electronic monitoring

• Fines up to $50,000 for offensive, non-criminal speech

Carpay warns:

“Canadians could be punished preemptively simply because someone fears they might commit a speech-related offense. Cabinet ministers would have power to remove individuals from the internet — a measure unnecessary for national security.”

A Nation at a Crossroads

Critics argue these bills collectively establish the legal framework for a digital dictatorship, granting bureaucrats unchecked authority over communication, opinion, and daily life.

“Canada will be a police state if Parliament passes Bills C-2, C-8, and C-9 in their current form,” one expert said.

Unless Canadians push back, the country risks transforming from a model of tolerance and open dialogue into a state of constant surveillance, censorship, and pre-crime policing.