Bill C-25 (Strong and Free Elections Act) receives royal assent
Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, receives royal assent and is enacted as Statutes of Canada 2026, c. 20. The Canada Elections Act impersonation offence now expressly covers realistic deepfakes of electoral actors made or distributed with intent to mislead, subject to a parody and satire defence. AI-generated political content that does not imitate a real electoral actor remains outside the Act, and there is no labelling requirement for synthetic election material.
Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, amends the Canada Elections Act with a package of measures on foreign interference, political-party privacy, nomination and leadership contests, political financing, and enforcement. It was introduced on 26 March 2026 by Steven MacKinnon, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, and received royal assent on 18 June 2026 as Statutes of Canada 2026, c. 20.