Legal access bill could lead to exit from Canada, says leading VPN provider – National

Virtual private network service NordVPN says it may withdraw from Canada because of the federal government’s proposal legal access bill.

NordVPN says it is considering the bill and would consider leaving Canada if the law requires it to compromise its privacy protections.

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

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

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

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

— With files from Jim Bronskill

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The Liberal backbench modified the ‘lawful access’ bill after privacy and backlash concerns