Digital laws in limbo: What’s at stake after Parliament’s shake-up in 2025

Making sense of how Parliament’s prorogation, the looming election and foreign threats coming south of the border are pulling the strings on digital legislation.

It’s a crucial time for Canada’s political scene, and change is on the way. In this article, we’ll break down the recent political events Canada has faced, both at home and abroad, and look at what’s next for key bills like Bill S-210, the Online Harms Act (C-63), and AIDA (C-27).

Two months into 2025, Canada had already experienced an unusually eventful start to the year. The challenges have been both domestic and international. At home, the Parliament has been prorogued since January 6, 2025; soon after, Justin Trudeau resigned from his nine-year stretch as Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Party. This means the existing government (and Trudeau) remains in power, but all parliamentary activity—including bills and committee work—is on hold until Parliament resumes on March 24, 2025.

South of the border, Donald Trump’s return to the White House didn’t just rename the Gulf of Mexico on our Google and Apple Maps, but also brought us into a “trade war” and serious foreign threats as this southern bully has repeatedly bragged about annexing Canada as the 51st state.

Most Canadians want the Parliament to return (for various reasons) to deal with this situation; opposition parties have called for Parliament to return after Trump hit pause on tariffs for 30 days (just 24 hours after Groundhog Day). But Trudeau is unlikely to meet these demands for many political reasons—especially with a looming election and no new Liberal leader, who won’t be chosen until March 9, to take the helm.

The increasingly unpredictable situation we face today is the result of multiple issues: years of mismanagement by the government that left Canada in a tough spot; an economy and society still reeling from the severe blow of COVID-19; and recent political upheavals. Taken together, these uncertainties make it difficult to predict the fate of key bills for Canada’s digital future we’ve been advocating for—such as Bill S-210 (which could still impose age-gating on much of the Internet), Bill C-63 (addressing online safety, with lingering concern around rights), and Bill C-27 (focusing on AI governance and privacy). How this government or the next government legislates these issues will define the online privacy, security, and expression rights of Canadians for decades to come; we must get them right.

Sooner or later, the parliament will resume—it’s just a matter of time and circumstances. But what does all of this mean for everyday Canadians and for important bills caught in the whirlwind of both domestic and international politics?

What’s going to happen when the Parliament resumes?

Each bill has its own legislative complexities, so we’ve outlined key updates to help make sense of what to expect. The outcome will depend largely on two possible scenarios:

Scenario 1: Business as usual

For Parliament to resume normal operations, at least one opposition party would have to shift its stance and support the government—an unlikely scenario. However, if this happens, Parliament's normal business can resume, and bills our community has advocated for will be back on the table with a chance of passing. Here’s where they currently stand:

Age-gating the Internet (Bill S-210): Still just one vote away from passing into law, though we’re uncertain if S-210 will be a priority for any party. If it does come up for a vote, we’ll declare another Internet emergency and urge MPs to reject this overreaching bill, which could lock users out of most online services unless they submit to privacy-invasive verification. Whether similar measures resurface in future online harms legislation remains to be seen.
Cybersecurity (Bill C-26): Having passed both the House and Senate, Bill C-26 is the closest to becoming law if Parliament makes it a priority. However, a major drafting error means it will still require a final House vote again. We fought hard to close major loopholes in it and won some crucial rights protections, but there remain serious privacy issues with the text as passed in the Senate, so we can’t advocate for the current bill.

That said, cybersecurity and resilient networks in Canada are more important than ever given the increasingly volatile international cybersecurity environment, and the issues C-26 covers must be revisited by the next government in one form or another.

Privacy and AI (Bill C-27): Stalled at the House Industry Committee, midway through consideration of privacy amendments, with no discussion yet on AI-related changes. With parties deeply split— the Conservatives and NDP pushing for stronger privacy protections that the government opposes—the bill is unlikely to advance. Its best chance lies in separating privacy reforms from AI regulations and the government agrees to strengthen privacy provisions–––something our community has fought for since the bill was first introduced in 2022 until it was stalled in the House in late 2024. Regardless, stronger privacy laws and responsible AI regulation must be top priorities in the next Parliament, and we will continue to fight for both.
Online Harms (Bill C-63): Has yet to undergo a formal committee study, though a pre-study began just before Parliament was prorogued. Since the bill was announced, we have both praised certain aspects and raised serious concerns. Before Parliament halted, the government signaled its willingness to drop parts 2 and 3—the most problematic sections of the bill.

However, even if Parliament resumes, C-63 would still need to go through committee study, House approval, and Senate passage, all before the summer recess, making its advancement very unlikely. The critical issues the bill aims to address, such as child abuse material and so-called “revenge porn,” remain important. We will continue pushing the next government to introduce new legislation that tackles these concerns while upholding privacy and freedom of expression.

It’s a packed legislative period, and no digital issue is likely to be the government’s top priority before summer. With shifting international politics, other policies—like tariff relief—are taking precedence. Meanwhile, months of procedural disputes have already slowed Parliament down, even before the prorogation. If any legislation is to move forward, the government will need cooperation from opposition parties to keep Parliament functioning.

Scenario 2: Snap election

Given the current political climate, if the Liberal government fails to secure the confidence of the House even with a new leader, a motion of non-confidence could pass––leading to the dissolution of Parliament and triggering an early federal election.

If an election is called, all active bills will be wiped out. Bills we’ve been advocating for and against would all have to be reintroduced from the start in a new Parliament. If the Conservatives take power, many Liberal-led bills, like the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63), which the Conservatives have opposed, may never see the light of day. That said, we expect the illegal online harms, privacy, AI and cybersecurity will be priorities for any government, and will advocate with MPs from all parties for effective and rights-respecting solutions to these issues.

Whether an early election occurs this spring depends on various political dynamics. In January 2025, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pledged that “we [NDP] will be voting against the government when we return to Parliament at the end of March and there will be an election in the spring.” However, passing a non-confidence motion to bring down the Liberal government requires at least the Bloc Québécois to join the NDP and the Conservatives. Without achieving a majority vote, the non-confidence is prone to fail just like those introduced in September, October and December last year.

In the light of surging patriotism (thanks to the Trump administration I guess), even “Vive le Quebec”, once shorthanded for Quebec’s own sovereignty, is being repurposed into an economic rallying cry against the U.S. The rise of national pride in the wake of Trump's tariff threat and 51st state taunts might even be resetting the race on who should lead Canada next.

The winds of change are sweeping through Canada. Whether you firmly back the ‘Canada First’ vision or you believe a Carney-led Liberal Party is better suited to negotiate with Trump, the choices we make in the coming months will shape the future of our nation. The leadership decisions and the outcome of the upcoming election will not just influence the course of our politics, but will determine the fate of the issues we hold dear—the very challenges that impact our daily lives and the future we are working toward.

Epilogue: We see hope, not fear

Trump's policies have rattled the world, but for many of us, it’s also been a wake-up call. We’re reminded of the importance of protecting our democracy—of preserving a space where we get to make our own decisions, where we have the power to shape our own policies and future.

In these turbulent times, Canadians are showing remarkable unity. Despite our differences in backgrounds, regions, or political beliefs, we’re coming together and talking about what it means to be Canadian, and why we love our country. This shared resolve is vital as we confront many pressing challenges, including protecting our digital rights.

Canada has been asleep at the wheel for too long on too many digital fronts, and needs to take charge of our digital future and sovereignty. Our #KeepOurDataHome campaign on Canada’s digital sovereignty is one way of making sure Canadians remain in control of their online rights, especially as power abroad continues to dominate and tech bros from the Silicon Valley started to mark their territory in the U.S. governmental bodies.

At OpenMedia, a deeply Canadian community, we’re fully committed to this fight. We’ll continue working tirelessly to safeguard Canadians' rights in an increasingly unpredictable world. It's a stand for our privacy, our data, democracy, and the future of the internet. We’re proud of the bad ideas we’ve stopped and progress we’ve made on many fights; but conscious we’re just getting started, and there’s much more to do! Please stick with us through 2025 as we fight for a better Internet and stand up for your rights and freedoms.

Other sources:

Assessing the Prorogation of the Canadian Parliament to Start 2025 – Fasken
Trump repeats ‘51st state’ call, complains about Canada’s military spending – CBC
Standoff over documents grinds government business to a halt in Parliament – The Globe and Mail
Liberals split online harms bill to postpone debate over policing hate speech – CBC