Toronto-based VPN provider plans to quit Canada over lawful-access bill

A Canadian company that has created software to help people living under oppressive regimes evade censorship and retain access to the internet says it plans to leave Canada if the federal government’s lawful-access bill passes in its current form.

The lawful-access bill, known as Bill C-22, would require telecoms, internet companies and other electronic service providers to make changes to their systems to give surveillance and monitoring capabilities to police services and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

CSIS and law enforcement have long argued that Canada is lagging behind its Five Eyes intelligence partners in not having such a lawful-access regime to aid investigations.

But the bill has provoked a backlash among tech companies with some saying they would quit the country if it becomes law.

Psiphon, an anti-censorship VPN company, was founded at the University of Toronto, has operated in Canada for nearly 20 years and received about $600,000 in federal funding this year alone. Windscribe, another Toronto VPN company with more than 100 million registered users, has also warned it may leave if the bill passes.

— TrendingPolitics.ca (@TrendPolCa)October 5, 2026

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Windscribe, another Toronto VPN company with more than 100 million registered users, has also warned it may leave if the bill passes.

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