Bill C-27: Timeline of developments

This article has been updated in November 2024 to reflect the current status of the bill.

On Nov. 21, 2024, the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) confirmed that its study of Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022, will stay paused until at least February 2025. The House of Commons will adjourn from Dec. 17, 2024, until Jan. 27, 2025, and INDU is slated to prioritize other committee business until its return. INDU may continue clause-by-clause review of Bill C-27 upon its return in the new year, but the Committee has yet to consider a long list of proposed amendments, and the parties remain divided on critical issues, including the removal of the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal from the Bill and substantial concerns about the AIDA regime.

To help you review Bill C-27's journey through the legislative process, we've put together a guide that outlines Bill C-27's progress to date. You will find a timeline of all key developments, along with a quantitative summary of INDU's committee study of the bill, including the top issues addressed by the committee, categories of witnesses who have appeared and amendments that the committee has considered so far.

For more information on Bill C-27, please reach out to a member of our Cyber Security & Data Protection Group.

Timeline of developments

Next steps
Conclusion of INDU study
Report stage and third reading in the House of Commons
First reading in the Senate
Second reading in the Senate
Senate committee consideration
Third reading in the Senate
Royal Assent (barring Senate amendments for House of Commons consideration)

November 21, 2024
INDU confirms study of Bill C-27 will remain paused until 2025

May 29, 2024
INDU pauses study of Bill C-27 until September

April 8 to May 29, 2024
INDU begins clause-by-clause review of Bill C-27

February 14, 2024
INDU completes witness testimony on Bill C-27

January 29, 2024
Parliament returns from winter recess

January 15, 2024
European Commission completes first review of adequacy decision for Canada, states that reforms in Bill C-27 could further strengthen privacy protections

December 12, 2023
Privacy Commissioners of Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia appear before INDU

November 28, 2023
Minister Champagne provides correspondence to INDU with text of proposed amendments to AIDA

October 31 - December 7, 2023
INDU meets with witnesses, including government officials, scholars, lawyers, and industry stakeholders

October 20, 2023
Minister Champagne sends correspondence to INDU with text of proposed amendments to CPPA

October 19, 2023
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne appears before INDU

October 17, 2023
INDU votes in favour of motion ordering Minister Champagne to produce the text of amendments to the CPPA and PIDPTA no later than 10/20/23

October 4, 2023
Minister Champagne sends correspondence to INDU with further details on the amendments proposed in his 09/26/23 appearance

September 28, 2023
INDU votes in favour of motion to compel Minister Champagne to provide exact language of amendments proposed in his 09/26/23 appearance

September 26, 2023
Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) begins committee study
Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry François-Philippe Champagne appears before INDU

April 24, 2023
Vote at second reading in the House of Commons and referral to committee

April 11, 2022
Second reading begins in the House of Commons

June 16, 2022
Introduction and first reading of Bill C-27 in the House of Commons

April 15, 2021
Bill C-11 dies on the Order Paper when Parliament dissolves

November 17, 2020
Introduction and first reading of Bill C-11 in the House of Commons

INDU committee study to date

31 meetings69 witnesses:

• 14 Government Officials
• 18 Scholars
• 20 Industry stakeholders
• 17 Lawyers

Most frequently studied issues

Issue% of meetings
addressing issue

Harms arising from AI, including collective harms

65%

The Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal

60%

Children's privacy

53%

Exceptions to consent requirements (including legitimate interest)

47%

The fundamental right to privacy

33%

Anonymization and de-identification

33%

Amendments proposed by Minister Champagne to date

3 categories of amendments to Part 1 of Bill C-27, the Consumer Privacy Protection Act:

1. Recognition of the fundamental right to privacy

2. Recognition and reinforcement of the protection afforded to children

3. Increased flexibility for the Privacy Commissioner to reach "compliance agreements"

5 categories of amendments to Part 3 of Bill C-27, the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act:

1. High-impact systems

2. International alignment

3. Clarifying obligations across the AI value chain

4. Obligations for general-purpose systems

5. Clarifying and strengthening the role of the AI and Data Commissioner

Amendments considered at clause-by-clause review to date

2 Government
amendments

8 Conservative
amendments

1 NDP
amendment

0 Bloc Québécois
amendments

Resources to learn more

• Bulletin: Committee study of Bill C-27 to start on September 26
• Bill C-27: Canada Reintroduces Sweeping Changes to Federal Privacy Law, Proposes New AI Legislation
• Bill C-27: A Deeper Dive into Canada's Proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act
• Canada's Proposed Privacy Law Moves to Second Reading in the House of Commons
• The Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA)
• Preparing for the Consumer Privacy Protection Act: Overview
• Much-needed clarification: Canada sheds new light on proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act in companion document
• Bulletin: Minister Champagne Provides Details on Proposed Amendments uo Canada's Bill C-27
• Opening remarks, as an individual, of Antoine Guilmain, Partner and Co-Leader of the Cyber Security and Data Protection Law Group