Ottawa tables new privacy protections
The federal Liberal government has introduced new legislation it says will modernize Canada's privacy laws and give people more control over the personal information companies hold about them. Central to the proposed bill is a new right for Canadians to request that private companies delete their data — and that includes AI-generated deepfakes made in their likeness.
The move comes as artificial intelligence tools make it easier than ever to create convincing fake images, audio, and video of real people without their consent. Until now, Canadians have had limited legal recourse when their face or voice was used to generate synthetic content.
What the bill would change
Under the proposed rules, individuals would be able to formally ask a company to delete personal information it holds about them, and businesses handling Canadians' data would face tighter regulations around how that information is collected, stored, and used.
The legislation is being framed by the government as a long-overdue update to privacy rules that were written before the rise of generative AI. Supporters argue that as deepfake technology becomes more sophisticated and widely available, Canadians need clear, enforceable rights to have harmful or unwanted synthetic content taken down.
Why deepfakes are in the spotlight
Deepfakes — realistic but fabricated media generated by AI — have raised alarm worldwide for their potential to spread misinformation, enable fraud, and harass individuals. Cases of non-consensual synthetic imagery and AI-cloned voices used in scams have pushed governments to act.
By explicitly giving people the right to request deletion of deepfakes that depict them, the bill attempts to close a gap that existing privacy law did not anticipate. It signals that Ottawa wants the country's legal framework to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology rather than lag years behind it.
The Ottawa angle
The legislation was introduced on Parliament Hill, where federal lawmakers will now debate the details in the months ahead. For Ottawa residents — many of whom work in the federal public service, tech, and policy sectors — the bill could shape how local employers and institutions handle sensitive data. Kanata North's growing tech community, in particular, will be watching closely, as new compliance obligations could affect how startups and established firms build and deploy AI products.
What happens next
The bill still has to make its way through the parliamentary process, including committee study and votes in the House of Commons, before it could become law. As written, it reflects a broader push to give Canadians stronger digital rights in an era where personal information — real or synthetic — can travel fast and be difficult to claw back.
For now, the introduction of the legislation marks a notable step in Canada's attempt to regulate AI's impact on privacy, and it sets the stage for what is likely to be a closely watched debate in the capital.
Source: CBC News (Politics).
