New Law Creates ‘Giant Surveillance Map’ of Every Citizen | Dr. Michael Geist episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 11, 2026 · 45 MIN

New Law Creates ‘Giant Surveillance Map’ of Every Citizen | Dr. Michael Geist

from BTC Sessions · host Ben Perrin

Mentor Sessions Ep. 076: The Giant Surveillance Map Canada Wants to Build on Every Citizen, Encryption Backdoors Coming to Bill C-22, and What Bitcoiners Must Know | Dr. Michael GeistCanada's Bill C-22 would force companies to retain your metadata for up to 12 months, potentially mandate encryption backdoors, and could push Signal out of Canada entirely — and it affects Five Eyes allies including Americans.In this episode, legal scholar and digital rights expert Professor Michael Geist breaks down exactly what's in Bill C-22 (Canada's lawful access legislation), why mandatory metadata retention is far more invasive than the government admits, and how the bill contradicts Canada's own stated commitment to privacy rights. You'll learn why Signal has said it cannot operate under these requirements, how Five Eyes intelligence sharing means American data could be swept into this net, and what ordinary Canadians can actually do before Parliament reconvenes in September 2026. You'll also see how Canada's "AI for All" strategy is in direct tension with its surveillance ambitions — and why Professor Geist says you can't create a fundamental right to privacy in the morning and mandate metadata collection in the afternoon.⏱️ Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:03 - Professor Michael Geist on Bill C-221:57 - Lawful Access and the Surveillance Debate3:22 - Bill C-22 Metadata Retention and Encryption6:17 - Why Metadata Reveals More Than Content8:01 - Police Use Case for Mass Metadata9:24 - Evidence Justifying New Surveillance Powers11:19 - Bill C-22 Supreme Court Challenge Risk12:47 - Five Eyes Data Sharing Concerns14:27 - Global Surveillance Laws in Australia and UK18:12 - Signal Threatens to Exit Canada19:54 - Economic Risks to Canadian Tech Sector20:53 - Privacy Rights Versus Metadata Mandates22:36 - How Canadians Can Push Back on Bill C-2226:47 - Canada's AI for All Strategy Explained31:16 - Digital Sovereignty and Foreign Data Centers37:16 - Gaps in the AI Strategy39:25 - Social Media Age Verification Rules43:39 - Final Thoughts From Professor Geist🔗 Links & Resources:• Professor Michael Geist's website: https://www.michaelgeist.ca• Michael Geist on Substack: https://michaelgeist.substack.com• Michael Geist on X/Twitter: https://x.com/mgeist• Sovereign Sessions — AI, Privacy, and Bitcoin education: http://youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1📌 Previous Episodes: Tom Luongo & Nolan Bauerle → https://youtu.be/XGPaWFavFqk⚡ POWERED by Abundant Mines: Fully managed Bitcoin mining. Learn more at https://qrco.de/bgYKPB🔒 Lockdown your Bitcoin with the BEST gear on the market from Coinkite. Get the 5% Off the COLDCARD visit: https://qrco.de/bfiDBV💡BOOK Private Sessions with Nathan, Gary, or Ben at Bitcoin Mentor: Master self-custody, hardware, multisig, Lightning, privacy, and more. 👉 Visit btcmentor.io Follow Us on X:• BTC Sessions: @BTCsessions• Nathan: @theBTCmentor#Bitcoin #BTC #BTCSessions #DigitalPrivacy #BillC22 #Surveillance #CanadaPrivacy #Encryption #FiveEyes #AIStrategy #Privacy #BitcoinPrivacy #SelfCustody #Metadata #Backdoors #GovernmentSurveillance #DigitalRights #PrivacyRights #CanadianPrivacy #DataPrivacy #BitcoinSecurity #SurveillanceState #Podcast #Interview

Mentor Sessions Ep. 076: The Giant Surveillance Map Canada Wants to Build on Every Citizen, Encryption Backdoors Coming to Bill C-22, and What Bitcoiners Must Know | Dr. Michael GeistCanada's Bill C-22 would force companies to retain your metadata for up to 12 months, potentially mandate encryption backdoors, and could push Signal out of Canada entirely — and it affects Five Eyes allies including Americans.In this episode, legal scholar and digital rights expert Professor Michael Geist breaks down exactly what's in Bill C-22 (Canada's lawful access legislation), why mandatory metadata retention is far more invasive than the government admits, and how the bill contradicts Canada's own stated commitment to privacy rights. You'll learn why Signal has said it cannot operate under these requirements, how Five Eyes intelligence sharing means American data could be swept into this net, and what ordinary Canadians can actually do before Parliament reconvenes in September 2026. You'll also see how Canada's "AI for All" strategy is in direct tension with its surveillance ambitions — and why Professor Geist says you can't create a fundamental right to privacy in the morning and mandate metadata collection in the afternoon.⏱️ Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:03 - Professor Michael Geist on Bill C-221:57 - Lawful Access and the Surveillance Debate3:22 - Bill C-22 Metadata Retention and Encryption6:17 - Why Metadata Reveals More Than Content8:01 - Police Use Case for Mass Metadata9:24 - Evidence Justifying New Surveillance Powers11:19 - Bill C-22 Supreme Court Challenge Risk12:47 - Five Eyes Data Sharing Concerns14:27 - Global Surveillance Laws in Australia and UK18:12 - Signal Threatens to Exit Canada19:54 - Economic Risks to Canadian Tech Sector20:53 - Privacy Rights Versus Metadata Mandates22:36 - How Canadians Can Push Back on Bill C-2226:47 - Canada's AI for All Strategy Explained31:16 - Digital Sovereignty and Foreign Data Centers37:16 - Gaps in the AI Strategy39:25 - Social Media Age Verification Rules43:39 - Final Thoughts From Professor Geist🔗 Links & Resources:• Professor Michael Geist's website: https://www.michaelgeist.ca• Michael Geist on Substack: https://michaelgeist.substack.com• Michael Geist on X/Twitter: https://x.com/mgeist• Sovereign Sessions — AI, Privacy, and Bitcoin education: http://youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1📌 Previous Episodes: Tom Luongo & Nolan Bauerle → https://youtu.be/XGPaWFavFqk⚡ POWERED by Abundant Mines: Fully managed Bitcoin mining. Learn more at https://qrco.de/bgYKPB🔒 Lockdown your Bitcoin with the BEST gear on the market from Coinkite. Get the 5% Off the COLDCARD visit: https://qrco.de/bfiDBV💡BOOK Private Sessions with Nathan, Gary, or Ben at Bitcoin Mentor: Master self-custody, hardware, multisig, Lightning, privacy, and more. 👉 Visit btcmentor.io Follow Us on X:• BTC Sessions: @BTCsessions• Nathan: @theBTCmentor#Bitcoin #BTC #BTCSessions #DigitalPrivacy #BillC22 #Surveillance #CanadaPrivacy #Encryption #FiveEyes #AIStrategy #Privacy #BitcoinPrivacy #SelfCustody #Metadata #Backdoors #GovernmentSurveillance #DigitalRights #PrivacyRights #CanadianPrivacy #DataPrivacy #BitcoinSecurity #SurveillanceState #Podcast #Interview

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New Law Creates ‘Giant Surveillance Map’ of Every Citizen | Dr. Michael Geist

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Mentor Sessions Ep. 076: The Giant Surveillance Map Canada Wants to Build on Every Citizen, Encryption Backdoors Coming to Bill C-22, and What Bitcoiners Must Know | Dr. Michael GeistCanada's Bill C-22 would force companies to retain your metadata...

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