It has been reported that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) imposes quotas that determine both the minimum Canadian programming expenditure (CPE) and the minimum amount of Canadian programming that licensed Canadian broadcasters must carry (Exhibition Quota). Regarding the latter, the current primetime (6-11pm) Exhibition Quota rests at 50% Canadian content.
For cable television and direct-to-home broadcast services, more than 50% of the channels received by subscribers must be Canadian channels. Non-Canadian channels must be pre-approved (“listed”) by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Upon an appeal from a Canadian licensee, the CRTC may determine that a non-Canadian channel competes with a Canadian pay or specialty service, in which case the CRTC may either remove the non-Canadian channel from the list (thereby revoking approval to supply the service) or shift the channel into a less competitive location on the channel dial. Alternatively, non-Canadian channels can become Canadian by ceding majority equity control to a Canadian partner, as some U.S. channels have done.
The CRTC also requires that 35% of popular musical selections broadcast on the radio qualify as “Canadian” under a Canadian Government-determined point system.
The CRTC’s Wholesale Code entered into force in January 2016 and governs certain commercial arrangements between distributors (e.g., cable companies) and programmers (e.g., channel owners). The Code is binding for vertically integrated suppliers in Canada (i.e., suppliers that own infrastructure and programming) and applies as guidelines to foreign programming suppliers (who by definition cannot be vertically integrated, as foreign suppliers are prohibited from owning video distribution infrastructure in Canada).

In April 2023, the Canadian Government passed the Online Streaming Act, directing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to develop a new framework for financial contributions and obligations on streaming platforms to support and promote Canadian programming. Under Section 4 of the Order Issuing Directions to the CRTC (Sustainable and Equitable Broadcasting Regulatory Framework), the CRTC must enforce requirements ensuring the Canadian broadcasting system robustly supports a diverse range of Canadian programming and creators. These directions mandate that both financial and non-financial obligations be fair, considering the size and nature of each undertaking and balanced between online foreign platforms and Canadian broadcasters. However, it is reported that the specific requirements to support the production of Canadian content are to be determined by the CRTC, which has been conducting several rounds of consultations with stakeholders, including foreign streamers and Canadian broadcasters.

Section 3.06 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations prohibits the export of certain goods and technologies to Russia, as specified in the Restricted Goods and Technologies List. This list encompasses a wide array of items, including electronics, computing, telecommunications, sensors, and lasers.

Section 3.6 of the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations prohibits the export of certain goods and technologies to Belarus, as specified in the Restricted Goods and Technologies List and Schedule 3 of the Regulations. These lists encompass a wide array of items, including electronics, computing, telecommunications, sensors, and lasers.

Self-certification is permitted for radio transmission, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Foreign companies are authorised to self-certify compliance with these standards through a Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). The registration of the equipment with the regulatory authority is not required, nor is testing by an accredited laboratory mandatory. In cases where testing is conducted, the selection of the testing laboratory is at the discretion of the supplier or manufacturer.

Under the Accountability Principle, set out in section 4.1 of Schedule 1 of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, organisations are required to appoint an individual or individuals responsible for ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Canada's signal intelligence agency, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), does not have explicit powers to demand disclosure of personal information under the Communications Security Establishment Act. However, the Minister of National Defence can issue an authorisation to the CSE permitting it to "gain access to a portion of the global information infrastructure" to carry out any activity authorised in the furtherance of the active cyber operations aspect of its mandate (Sections 30 and 31). This authorisation could include a demand for access to personal information held by an organisation. Authorisations are time-limited, must have the consent of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and must be based on reasonable grounds to believe that the objective of the cyber operation could not be reasonably achieved by other means (Sections 33(4) and 34(4)).

The Copyright Act establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries for copyright infringements. According to Section 31.1(1), internet service providers (ISPs), provided that they are content-neutral, cannot be held liable for providing any means for Internet access.

In Canada, trade secret protection can be enforced through civil litigation, criminal prosecution, or both. Civil remedies are handled at the provincial level, based on common law (or civil law in Québec), and may involve claims such as breach of contract, misappropriation, or breach of confidence. In criminal cases, prosecution is determined by the Crown following police investigation. At the federal level, certain forms of undisclosed information are protected by laws such as the Security of Information Act and the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act. In 2020, Canada amended its Criminal Code to explicitly criminalise trade secret theft through deceit or fraudulent means.
When courts assess whether information qualifies as a trade secret or whether it has been misused, they consider several factors, such as: how well the information was kept secret, its economic value, how much time or money it took to create, how easily others could develop it independently, and whether both the owner and the recipient treated it as confidential. Courts also look at whether the recipient should have known it was confidential and whether the misuse caused harm to the owner.

There is no obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in Canada to deliver telecom services to end users. However, passive infrastructure sharing is practiced in the mobile sector and in the fixed sector based on commercial agreements.

Saskatchewan Telecommunications is the only government-owned company in the Canadian telecommunications market and it is owned by the province of the same name. According to its statutes, foreign direct investment is not allowed in this company.

Telecommunication carriers, including internet service providers that own and operate transmission facilities, are subject to foreign investment restrictions if they hold a 10% or greater share of total Canadian communication annual market revenues, as mandated by the Telecommunications Act. According to Art. 16 of the Act, a Canadian carrier is eligible to operate as a telecommunications common carrier if it is incorporated, organised, or continued under Canadian or provincial laws and is Canadian-owned and controlled, operates only a specified transmission facility, or generates less than 10% of its annual revenue from telecommunications services in Canada. To qualify as Canadian-owned and controlled, Canadians must own at least 80% of the voting interests, and the entity must not be controlled by non-Canadians.

The Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, commonly known as SaskTel, is a Canadian Crown corporation based in Saskatchewan. Owned by the provincial government, SaskTel offers a range of telecommunications services, including wireline and wireless communications. Its services encompass landline telephone, mobile networks, broadband internet (such as copper DSL, fibre to the home, and wireless broadband), IPTV, and security solutions.

It is reported that Canada does not mandate functional or accounting separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market.

Canada has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.