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Is a VPN legal in Canada? Yes, and nothing on the table would ban one. But the law around VPN providers may be about to change. Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, 2026, passed its third reading in the House of Commons on 18 June 2026 and goes to the Senate this autumn. It would allow regulations requiring service providers to keep metadata for up to a year. NordVPN has said it would consider leaving Canada rather than compromise its no-logs design, The Canadian Press reported.
This page explains where the bill stands, what it would and would not do to VPN users, and how Canada’s existing rules work.
Is a VPN Legal in Canada? The Short Answer
Using a VPN is legal, and Bill C-22 is not a VPN ban. The dispute is over metadata retention and technical obligations on providers, not over individuals using VPNs.
The bill is not law yet. After passing the House, it awaits the Senate, which returned on 21 September 2026, the law firm Dentons notes. It could still be amended.
Providers are the ones reacting. Toronto-based Windscribe said it would leave Canada if the bill passes, and NordVPN said it would consider limiting or removing its Canadian presence. Our guide to a VPN for Canada covers the practical side.
Where Bill C-22 Stands
| Date | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | Bill C-2 includes warrantless access powers; later dropped | Michael Geist |
| 12 March 2026 | Bill C-22 introduced | LEGISinfo |
| 20 April 2026 | Second reading; sent to committee | LEGISinfo |
| 18 June 2026 | Committee amendments and third reading | LEGISinfo |
| From 21 September 2026 | Senate study | Dentons |
It replaced a broader attempt. Law professor Michael Geist notes that Bill C-2, introduced in June 2025, contained warrantless information-demand powers that drew near-universal criticism. The government then brought lawful access back as a standalone bill.
Ministers rushed the final Commons stages. They limited debate, and the committee’s clause-by-clause review ran past midnight, BetaKit reported. No one expected the Senate to finish before late 2026.
Is a VPN Legal in Canada Under Bill C-22?
Metadata retention is the issue. The bill would allow regulations requiring providers to keep metadata for up to a year, The Canadian Press reported. Metadata means the digital traces of a communication, not its content, as our guide to what a VPN hides explains. A no-logs VPN is built not to keep such records, as our no-logs guide explains.
Access still needs authorisation. Authorities would still need legal authority, such as a court warrant, to obtain data, the report noted. The bill would also let police confirm, without a warrant, whether a suspect uses a provider’s service, according to Wikipedia’s summary.
Providers may leave rather than comply. NordVPN said there is no scenario in which it would compromise its no-logs architecture or encryption, and Signal has made a similar warning, Geist notes. If they leave, Canadian users may lose Canadian servers, not the service itself. Our NordVPN review and our Windscribe review cover both providers.
Canada’s Existing Rules
Copyright notices are forwarded by law. Canada’s notice-and-notice system requires providers to pass rights holders’ notices to subscribers, and courts have ordered pirate sites blocked, as our Canada guide explains. A VPN does not change the legality of piracy.
So is a VPN legal in Canada for streaming? Yes; it is a terms question. Using a VPN to reach another country’s library may breach a service’s terms but is not a crime, as our Netflix guide explains.
How Canada Compares
Is a VPN legal in Canada compared with its allies? Yes, on the same terms as in the US. Australia already requires two years of data retention, and the UK has ruled out banning VPNs, as our Australia page and our UK page explain.
Switzerland had a similar fight. Proton threatened to leave over proposed surveillance rules there, as our Switzerland guide explains. Our country-by-country guide compares every country.
How We Research
The bill’s stages come from Parliament’s LEGISinfo, BetaKit and Dentons; the provider reactions from The Canadian Press and Michael Geist; and the warrantless confirmation power from Wikipedia’s summary of the bill. We are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. NordVPN is one of our affiliate partners; we report its statement as published. We name each source where used; all were read on 27 September 2026. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Canada VPN Legality FAQ
Yes. No Canadian law restricts VPNs, and Bill C-22 would not ban them.
The Lawful Access Act, 2026. It would expand police and CSIS access to information held by service providers and allow rules requiring metadata to be kept for up to a year.
Not yet. It passed the House of Commons on 18 June 2026 and awaits the Senate, which began its autumn sitting on 21 September 2026.
NordVPN said it would consider limiting or removing its Canadian presence if the bill forced it to compromise its no-logs design. Windscribe said it would leave.
No. It targets service providers’ obligations, not individuals’ use of VPNs.
The Verdict
A VPN is legal in Canada, and Bill C-22 would not change that.
What it could change is which providers keep servers or offices in Canada. Watch the Senate this autumn, and choose a provider with an audited no-logs record.