Apple is publicly opposing a Canadian bill that could force the company to weaken encryption on its devices.
The bill, known as C-22, was proposed by Canada's ruling Liberal Party. It is now being debated in the House of Commons. Canadian law enforcement says the measure would help them investigate security threats faster. But Apple argues it could create dangerous vulnerabilities.
"At a time of rising and pervasive threats... Bill C-22, as drafted, would undermine our ability to offer the powerful privacy and security features users expect from Apple," the company said in a statement. Apple added the legislation could force companies to insert backdoors into their products-something Apple says it will never do.
The bill shares similarities with a UK data access order sent to Apple last year. That order led Apple to withdraw its end-to-end encrypted cloud storage feature. The UK later dropped the request after U.S. intelligence raised concerns it could violate a cloud data treaty.
End-to-end encryption ensures only the user can access data-not even Apple or law enforcement. It is widely used in services like Meta's WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage, offering strong protection against spying and cybercrime.
Meta executives are also scheduled to testify about the bill on Thursday.