Major VPN provider says it could leave Canada over lawful access bill

OTTAWA — Virtual private network service NordVPN warned on Friday it could pull out of Canada over the federal government’s proposed lawful access bill.

NordVPN said in a social media post it is reviewing the bill and would consider leaving Canada if the bill requires it to compromise its privacy protections.

The company said if Bill C-22 passes “and if we are subjected to mandatory obligations, there isn’t a scenario in which we would compromise our no-logs architecture or encryption protections.”

“To prevent this, we will consider all viable options, including limiting or, if necessary, removing our presence from Canadian jurisdiction,” NordVPN said in a post on X.

Earlier this week, The Globe and Mail reported that the encrypted messaging service Signal said it would leave Canada if the bill requires it to compromise user privacy.

Conservative MP Jacob Mantle said in a post on X Friday that MPs depend on the service.

“Every member of Parliament in the country uses Signal, precisely because they believe it is safe (confidential) to use. No one wants Gary reading their messages,” he said.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in an earlier statement the bill does not “grant the government new powers to indiscriminately access private devices or communications.”

The comments from Signal follow warnings from big tech companies Apple and Meta that the legislation threatens to compromise their encryption services.

Last week, the lawful access bill also drew opposition from members of the U.S. Congress.

“Canada’s Bill C-22, currently under consideration in Parliament, would drastically expand Canada’s surveillance and data access powers in ways that create significant cross-border risks to the security and data privacy of Americans,” the heads of the judiciary and foreign affairs committees said in a joint letter to Anandasangaree.

The bill also has run into fierce opposition from civil liberties groups and law professors who say it would open the door to serious privacy infringements.

The government says the bill will ensure law enforcement agencies have the legal tools to prevent, investigate and respond to modern crime and protect Canadians in a Charter-compliant manner.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2026.

— With files from Jim Bronskill