CANADALAND What If Trump Shuts Off Canada's Data Servers?
21 snips
Sep 9, 2025 Don Lenihan, President and CEO of Middle Ground Policy Research, and Vass Bednar, Managing Director of the Canadian Shield Institute, dive deep into Canada's digital sovereignty. They highlight the risk of U.S. tech giants controlling Canadian data, emphasizing the limited number of Canadian data centers. The conversation explores the implications of U.S. actions on Canadian data privacy and the urgent need for Canada to establish its own secure digital infrastructure. They also tackle the complexities in regulating digital platforms and the mounting influence of American technology on Canada.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
U.S. Firms Control Much Of Canada’s Data
- About half of Canada's ~300 data centres are run by U.S. tech giants, creating structural dependency.
- That makes Canadian data subject to U.S. law even when physically stored in Canada.
Inside A Canadian Sovereign Data Facility
- Sam visits ThinkOn's Ottawa data centre and describes its unmarked exterior and high security inside.
- ThinkOn is one of few Canadian providers meeting federal security requirements for government data.
Cloud Act Reaches Into Canadian Servers
- The U.S. CLOUD Act lets American authorities compel data from services controlled by U.S. companies, even if stored in Canada.
- That legal reach undermines Canada's ability to keep sensitive information under domestic control.
