Q&A: CIRA CEO worries Canadian web traffic could be exploited by the U.S.

Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) CEO Byron Holland is a vocal supporter of a free and open internet — but that doesn’t mean he wants foreign entities to have access to Canadian web traffic. Holland, who has led the .ca domain manager since 2008, said in an exclusive interview with The Wire Report that approximately 25 per cent of Canadian data flows through other countries, leaving Canada vulnerable to technology breakdowns and bad actors. Can we start with what exactly the Canadian Internet Registration Authority does? Canadian Internet Registration Authority CEO Byron Holland. LinkedIn photograph We primarily work in technology, infrastructure, and operations. Most people will know us because we manage and operate the .ca domain. So, if you buy a .ca domain name, we’re essentially the manufacturer of that name. The biggest part of what we do is operate the underlying DNS (domain name system) infrastructure. So, when you type in a domain name on your browser, and your browser goes out on the open internet and queries the internet, we’re the authoritative source of traffic routing, if you will. Over the years, we’ve begun to do a lot of work on a global internet infrastructure, so we provide those DNS services to other organizations and providers around the world. We also do a number of cybersecurity services, whether it’s cyber awareness training platforms, which we provide to many Canadian companies, or DNS firewall services. Can you tell me about your concerns that Canadian data traffic is extending beyond our borders? This is something CIRA has been talking about for quite some time because infrastructure in Canada continues to be an issue. And, when I say an issue, it’s about creating a strong, robust, and resilient infrastructure in Canada. Clearly, the internet is a global, open, interoperable network of networks, and I am a very strong supporter of that. But any given country, including Canada, should have its own robust and resilient network or internet infrastructure. We should know how the routing of traffic is happening in Canada because one of our challenges is roughly 25 per cent of our domestic traffic, which means it originates in Canada and terminates in Canada, boomerangs through a foreign jurisdiction before it comes back to Canada. That’s sub-optimal because it just covers more ground and it takes longer, so you get a performance degradation. You also get a resiliency degradation because you’re now transiting more networks, and those networks aren’t often going to be Canadian-based networks. So, if you ever have a problem, you’re subject to a foreign jurisdiction’s resilient problems. When you say 25 per cent of domestic traffic flows through another country, how much of that is going to the U.S.? It’s almost always going to be the U.S. Do you think this is more of a concern now, when there’s been a rift in Canada-U.S. relations? For somebody like me, I thought this was important many years ago, but the current moment has exposed this problem in a way that people are now paying attention. The problem has always existed, but it now has more coverage because of the current geopolitical situation. I hate to say it, but to some degree it's helpful to have an understanding of this challenge and start remediating it for the benefit of all Canadians. First and foremost, our networks should serve Canadians and what’s in their best interests. And, what’s in the best interest of Canadian internet users is, without a doubt, a robust and resilient Canadian infrastructure. When you talk about these risks of communications travelling across borders, are there privacy implications as well? What exactly is the risk here? From an internet infrastructure operator perspective, I look at the resilience and performance issues. But, without a doubt, the minute your data transits a foreign jurisdiction, that data no longer has the rights and protections that one would expect in your own jurisdiction. As a Canadian citizen, I don’t have privacy rights in the U.S., and thus my data doesn’t either when it’s in transit. And I think that’s a really important thing for people to consider. There’s many examples of Canadian and American administrations working together to co-manage a resource or industry. Has there never been any partnership or joint management of data traffic? The internet is generally operated by private sector actors based on a set of open standards. That’s one of the beauties of the internet. It’s free, open and based on technology standards, as opposed to imposed rules and legislation. Of course, each country has its own relevant regulator, like the CRTC in Canada, but the CRTC doesn’t have the kind of remit that might allow it to pursue multi-country oversight. That’s primarily left up to the private sector based on the open standards of the internet. Who would be responsible for bringing forward the changes you’re looking for? Would it be the CRTC, federal government, or a separate entity? I think one of the wonders of the internet is how many people have come online in its relatively short history because it’s pretty free, open, and private sector-led. There are definitely things that governments can do to help enhance this, and I think the ideal state is a sovereign, secure, and open internet for Canadians There’s an interesting case study in Quebec, where they’re doing a procurement for internet-based services by requiring providers to guarantee certain things, like exchanging traffic at Canadian internet exchange points, while meeting certain performance standards. So, there’s opportunities for governments to have influence without having top-down legislative interference with the operations of the internet itself. Just to clarify, these changes you're proposing would not restrict Canadians’ ability to send communications outside of Canada? Yes, we’re loud and proud proponents of a free and open global internet, which means the exchange of traffic around the globe. That’s a cornerstone of our belief. But we can also have a more robust, resilient and domestic Canadian internet infrastructure. Those two things can work hand-in-hand. To your knowledge, have these vulnerabilities you’ve outlined ever been exploited? Or, is it just a concern that these vulnerabilities still exist? Anytime your traffic goes into a foreign jurisdiction, it has the opportunity to be exploited. I think the outcomes of the Edward Snowden episode showed the kind of interdictions that were happening in the U.S. to traffic, which most people would not have thought was transiting through to the U.S., and then being looked at by the intelligence community. So, to the greatest degree possible, every country wants to keep their traffic domestic, and Canada should be no exception to that. Is it fair to say you’re trying to remedy this issue proactively? As opposed to responding to historical examples of data exploitation? Yes, and this is something we’ve been talking about in certain forums for quite a while now. It’s not about violations elsewhere, but rather having a strong and robust Canadian internet because bad stuff happens on the internet. It’s technology and sometimes it fails. Do we want to be subject to a technology failure in a foreign jurisdiction where there’s literally nothing we can do about it? Or, do we want to keep it in Canada, where there’s more control over the networks? One of the other things is we’ve been hearing about these big Canadian infrastructure projects that the federal and provincial governments talk about. Here’s an opportunity to make sure we have the best and fastest east-to-west fibre connections, and part of that means we’d have better resilience and performance. And, typically, when you get better performance, you get better pricing as well. So, this can truly be a triple-win scenario, if we do it right. dlegree@thewirereport.ca Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q&A: CIRA CEO worries Canadian web traffic could be exploited by the U.S.

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By Davis Legree
|February 27, 2026

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Q&A: CIRA CEO worries Canadian web traffic could be exploited by the U.S.

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By Davis Legree
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