US EditionData stored in Canada can be subject to foreign courts, government paper warns
The federal Treasury Board report says only fully Canadian-operated providers guarantee full data control amid foreign legal challenges.
- On Nov. 3, 2025 the Treasury Board released a white paper saying Ottawa cannot maintain full legal control over data when suppliers answer to foreign laws, warning full control requires providers under Canadian jurisdiction.
- Legal frameworks such as the U.S. Cloud Act mean service providers must follow laws where they operate, and the paper says foreign courts can assert jurisdiction even over data stored in Canada.
- Crucial digital services come from a small number of global tech giants; Ottawa has spent almost $1.3 billion on cloud services from Amazon, Microsoft and Google since 2021, and experts warn U.S. laws require compliance with law-enforcement requests.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney has directed the Major Projects Office to build a sovereign cloud, and the Treasury Board says Ottawa uses legal, policy and technical measures to retain some data control.
- The report says full digital sovereignty is impossible due to interconnection and talent gaps, while private firms and telecoms offer sovereign options, according to the paper.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Data Stored in Canada Can Be Subject to Foreign Courts, Government Paper Warns
A new government white paper on digital sovereignty says Ottawa can’t maintain full control over its data if its data storage supplier is subject to the laws of another country. It warns the federal government can only maintain full legal control if it delivers the service itself, or uses service providers that operate completely under Canadian jurisdiction. The paper, prepared for the Treasury Board, notes providers must follow the laws of each…
A new white paper warns that Ottawa cannot maintain full control over its data if it is hosted in other countries.
OTTAWA—A new Government White Paper on Digital Sovereignty warns that Ottawa cannot maintain full control over its data if its data storage provider is subject to the laws of another country. The document states that the federal government can only maintain full legal control if it provides the service itself or if it uses service providers that operate entirely under Canadian jurisdiction. The document emphasizes that providers must comply with…
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