Liberals to introduce law guaranteeing ‘right to privacy’ on Monday

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Minister Evan Solomon (Toronto Centre, Ont.) is set to beat the parliamentary buzzer and introduce a long-promised update to Canada’s privacy legislation. Over the weekend, Solomon gave notice of his intention to introduce the catchily-named An Act to enact the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and to make amendments to other Acts, which the minister’s office told The Wire Report will be tabled on Monday. Parliament is set to rise for its months-long summer break on Friday, though parties could agree to hit pause earlier. The House is not scheduled to reconvene until September. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) unveiled Ottawa’s AI strategy that recommitted the government to introducing new privacy legislation, which Solomon has teased since last year. “Canada will modernize consumer privacy legislation to enshrine a fundamental right to privacy, safeguard children’s information from exploitation and harm, and strengthen people’s control over their personal data,” read the strategy. “Canada will also strengthen its privacy laws to ensure that Canadians’ personal information is not used inappropriately, including for surveillance pricing.” Surveillance pricing refers to the practice of charging different amounts to different consumers, depending on their financial background, past purchases, and other personal details. It has become a significant policy concern for the NDP since Avi Lewis assumed the party’s leadership in March. Solomon’s office would not respond to The Wire Report’s request for details, citing a press conference scheduled for Monday afternoon. Bills on the Notice Paper are subject to parliamentary privilege, meaning specific provisions cannot be discussed publicly. In recent weeks, the Liberals have faced strong criticism over the privacy implications of Bill C-22, the government’s lawful access bill, which would require electronic service providers to retain a considerable amount of user data that could be turned over to the government. C-22 is currently being studied by the House public safety committee. Law not expected to address copyright issues Solomon has previously said his forthcoming bill will not address AI-related copyright matters, which have become a priority for creative organizations across the country. Copyright was also not mentioned in the recent AI strategy, drawing consternation from Canadian cultural leaders. “The cultural sector is not opposed to artificial intelligence,” said Andrea Kokonis, co-chair of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, in a statement. “It is simply calling for its development to be guided by clear, transparent rules that respect copyright.” “Transparency regarding training data and the ability for rights holders to enter into licensing agreements are essential conditions for building an AI ecosystem that benefits society as a whole.” Countries around the world are grappling with copyright issues surrounding text and data mining (TDM), as some jurisdictions, like the European Union, have exempted TDM activities for training AI systems from copyright requirements. Meanwhile, the U.K. has backed away from a proposed model that would require copyright-holders to opt-out from having their outputs available for large language model training. In Canada, the House heritage committee has called on the federal government to implement an opt-in approach that would allow artists to consent to their productions being used, though the Liberals have not taken a firm position on the issue. Earlier this year, Miller said the Copyright Act may need amending, though he more recently said the current legislative framework adequately protects cultural producers. By law, the Copyright Act must be reviewed every five years, though the last such exercise occurred in 2019. The Liberal privacy bill will be the latest installment in a suite of digital policy measures recently introduced by the government. Last week, Miller tabled new digital safety legislation, which included a social media ban for young people, though the bill is not expected to pass through Parliament before the House rises. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Liberals to introduce law guaranteeing ‘right to privacy’ on Monday

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|June 15, 2026

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Liberals to introduce law guaranteeing ‘right to privacy’ on Monday

Regulatory | By Davis Legree |June 15, 2026

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