Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 160, Number 1: Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Regulations

January 3, 2026

Statutory authority
Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act

Sponsoring department
Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Executive summary

Issues

The Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA) creates a new system to make foreign influence activities more transparent, including the creation of a public registry of foreign influence activities and an independent Commissioner to oversee it.

The proposed regulations are required to implement FITAA.

Background

Foreign entities, including foreign states, seek to influence Canada through various means, such as lobbying, in areas like political dialogue, trade negotiations, and policy decisions. When these activities are conducted openly and transparently, they are considered legitimate foreign influence activities and are appropriate international diplomacy. However, some activities by foreign entities are carried out secretly or in a non-transparent manner, often using proxies and tactics such as spreading misinformation. Non-transparent foreign influence activities that aim to affect political and governmental processes for the undisclosed benefit of a foreign power undermines Canada’s sovereignty and democracy. They compromise Canada’s ability to make informed decisions free from manipulation or hidden agendas, ultimately posing a threat to Canada’s national interests.

Unlike some of its allies, Canada lacks a transparent mechanism to ensure the public is informed about attempts by foreign entities to influence Canadian political and governmental processes. As a result, foreign principals and their proxies can secretly seek to shape Canadian decisions and public opinion. To address this gap, Parliament approved FITAA in June 2024 as part of the broader Countering Foreign Interference Act (Bill C-70).

FITAA establishes a new framework to make legitimate foreign influence activities more transparent. It requires individuals or entities to register when they have entered into an agreement to act under the direction of, or in association with, a foreign principal to influence Canadian political or governmental processes. This information would be submitted to the Commissioner. Some of this information would then be published in a public registry, supporting greater openness and accountability in foreign influence activities.

Objective

By making foreign influence activities more transparent, the proposed regulations aim to strengthen national security by distinguishing between legitimate and transparent foreign influence and covert and non-transparent foreign influence. The proposed regulations would also allow security and intelligence partners to focus their efforts on activities that pose a greater threat to Canada’s interests.

The proposed regulations would build public trust in Canada’s democratic institutions by demonstrating a strong commitment to preventing non-transparent foreign influence.

These objectives support Canada’s broader efforts to modernize its national security posture and respond to new and evolving threats.

Description

The proposed regulations are organized into five categories: Definitions, Provision of Information, Registry, Disclosure of Information, and Administrative Monetary Penalties.

Definitions

The proposed regulations define the following key terms used throughout the regulatory framework:

• Act, meaning the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA);
• Influence activities, meaning activities as defined in the FITAA; and
• Registry, meaning the public-facing registry established by the Commissioner under the Act.

Provision of Information

The proposed regulations would identify the information that must be provided to the Commissioner by a person who enters into an arrangement with a foreign principal. Under the FITAA, a person includes a corporation, a trust, a joint venture, a partnership, a fund, an unincorporated association or organization and any other legal entity, as well as individuals. Therefore, the proposed regulations would establish specific information requirements depending on whether the person entering into the arrangement is an individual or another entity that meets the definition of a person.

The proposed regulations would also establish details that must be provided for the type of arrangement based on the three different activities that meet the definition of an arrangement under FITAA. These activities and their reporting requirements are identified in the proposed regulations as:

• communication with public office holder,
• dissemination of information, such as radio, print publication, or social media, and
• provision of benefit, such as money or other items of value or services.

The proposed regulations would establish requirements to update information on an arrangement provided to the Commissioner, which would require persons to submit changes to the Commissioner:

• within 15 days after the end of the month in which a change occurred, and
• within 15 days of the end of five consecutive months in which no updates have been provided.

In cases of an update where no information has changed, the update would need to include a confirmation that the information is complete and correct.

Registry

Under the FITAA, the Commissioner is required to maintain a public-facing registry containing information. The proposed regulations would establish the information to be provided in the registry including:

• Identifying information about individuals and entities that have entered into the arrangement;
• Information about the foreign principal; and
• Details of each arrangement, including its purpose and the types of influence activities involved.

The proposed regulations would allow certain information not to be published if there are reasonable grounds to believe that disclosure would pose a threat to personal safety or if the information is suspected to be false or misleading. The proposed regulations would require that the Commissioner retain registry information for 20 years after the arrangement ends.

Disclosure of Information

The proposed regulations would authorize the following entities to disclose information to the Commissioner and any person authorized to act on their behalf or at their direction to assist in carrying out duties under the FITAA:

• Institutions listed in the Schedule to the Privacy Act;
• The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner;
• The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections; and
• The Canadian Armed Forces.

The proposed regulations would also allow the Commissioner to disclose information to these entities and any provincial, territorial, or municipal bodies responsible for elections, lobbying, or conflict of interest matters, provided that a person’s privacy interests are not affected more than is reasonably necessary and disclosure is necessary to fulfill the Commissioner’s mandate. In addition, the proposed regulations would allow the Commissioner to disclose information to institutions listed in Schedule 3 to the Security of Canada Information Disclosure Act where there are reasonable grounds to believe the disclosure may assist in identifying or investigating activities that undermine Canada’s security.

Administrative Monetary Penalties

The proposed regulations would establish a range of administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) for violations under FITAA from $50 to $1,000,000. The proposed regulations would also define the following as factors the Commissioner must consider when determining whether to impose a penalty and its amount:

• The person’s history of compliance with the Act;
• The impact of the violation, including the severity of actual or potential harm to transparency;
• Whether the violation was intentional or inadvertent;
• The person’s capacity to pay; and
• The person’s responsiveness and cooperation with the Commissioner after being issued a notice of violation.

The proposed regulations would allow the Commissioner to offer to enter into compliance agreements, which allow for reduced or no penalties if the person meets specified conditions within an agreed timeframe.

The proposed regulations would establish how a notice of violation can be issued, the date it is considered served, and establish an AMP as a debt to the Crown.

Regulatory development

Consultation

Public Safety Canada (PS) held targeted consultations with key stakeholders to help inform the proposed regulations. Between August and November 2025, more than 37 engagement activities took place, including bilateral, multilateral meetings and virtual sessions. Participants included provincial and territorial governments, civil society organizations, such as those who advocate for human rights, democracy and political freedoms in Canada and abroad, diaspora communities, public interest law firms, international partners, and national security experts. Many organizations engaged during consultations noted privacy sensitivities as they can be potential targets of malicious foreign actors. To address these concerns, PS has chosen to keep feedback generalized rather than attributing comments to specific organizations.

Stakeholders were asked to provide feedback on important issues, such as:

• The definition of “Public Office Holder”;
• What information should appear in the public registry; and,
• How compliance and enforcement should work.

Some provinces and territories and civil society organizations noted that provincial appointees and school board members should be covered in the definition of “Public Office Holder.” PS acknowledges that this was the original policy intention of the FITAA and committed to reviewing whether the current definition sufficiently captures these groups or if an amendment to the proposed regulations would be needed to add these groups to the definition.

PS considered mirroring other Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) regimes in Canada which delineate two distinct penalty ranges for individuals and organizations. Public Interest law firms recommended not adapting this approach and applying consistent monetary penalty ranges across all sectors, including charities and NGOs, to ensure fairness and flexibility in the final amount levied. This recommendation is reflected in the proposed regulations as the maximum penalty the same irrespective of the type of entity.

Diaspora groups suggested publishing compensation details in the registry to show the scale of arrangements. PS considered this but did not adopt it due to privacy concerns and compliance risks. Other published information, such as start and end dates, activities, and goals, would show the purpose of the arrangement without disclosing personal financial details.

Diaspora groups also raised concerns about potential stigmatization of diaspora communities and that the regime could unfairly label or target these communities, creating social or reputational harm. For example, if diaspora communities are perceived as being under special scrutiny, it can reinforce stereotypes or lead to unfair treatment based on ethnicity or origin. PS will continue engagement to ensure implementation reduces these risks while maintaining the integrity of the regime.

Lastly, civil society organizations and diaspora groups had questions about registration requirements for individuals linked to foreign-funded institutions or media outlets. Clarification on this issue will be shared through future outreach materials. PS will continue working with stakeholders to ensure the proposed regulations are clear, fair, and responsive to emerging challenges.

Indigenous engagement, consultation and Modern Treaty obligations

Modern Treaty Obligations

As required by the 2015 Cabinet Directive on the Federal Approach to Modern Treaty Implementation, an assessment of modern treaty implications was conducted. It was determined that there are no direct modern treaty implications or obligations for the proposed regulations.

Indigenous Engagement and Consultation

In December 2025, PS sent letters to national Indigenous organization and to cross-border communities which face unique challenges stemming from their geographic location. These letters informed them of the upcoming regulatory requirements and offered to meet to discuss their perspectives.

Instrument choice

FITAA establishes a legal requirement for individuals and entities acting for foreign principals to report certain activities, subject to regulations.

As such, regulations are the only viable option.

Regulatory analysis

The proposed regulations would increase transparency around foreign influence activities in Canada by establishing detailed requirements for the collection and publication of information about individuals and entities engaged in such activities, as well as the nature of those activities.

From 2026 to 2035, the proposed regulations are estimated to result in a total cost of $25.90 M in present value (2024 Canadian dollars, discounted to the base year 2026 at a 7% rate). Of this amount, $442.5 is attributed to compliance costs for individual or entities submitting information about foreign influence activities conducted on behalf of a foreign principal. The Government of Canada would incur an additional cost of $25.45M for the development of an IT system to support the public registry, the establishment and operation of the Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner’s Office (FITCO) and disclosure activities.

Over the same period, the proposed regulations are expected to generate total benefits of $37.11M. These benefits are attributed to an increase in economic benefit from enhanced transparency through the implementation of a public registry of foreign influence activities. The resulting net benefit is estimated to be $11.21M between 2026 and 2035.

Analytical Framework

The costs and benefits for the proposed regulations have been assessed in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Canadian Cost-Benefit Analysis Guide, which can be found through the Cabinet Directive on Regulation: Policy on Cost-Benefit Analysis. Where possible, impacts are quantified and monetized, with only the direct costs and benefits for stakeholders being considered in the cost-benefit analysis.

Taxes, levies and other charges constitute transfers from one group to another and are therefore not considered to be compliance or administrative costs, including if intended as incentives to foster compliance and change behaviour. Correspondingly, the costs to pay for AMPs, as well as the revenue to the Government of Canada generated through AMPs, are not considered costs nor benefits within the scope of the regulatory analysis since they are outside the normal course of business, occurring only in instances of non-compliance.

Benefits and costs associated with the proposed regulations are assessed based on comparing the baseline scenario against the regulatory scenario. The baseline scenario depicts what is likely to happen in the future if the Government of Canada does not implement the proposed regulations. The regulatory scenario provides information on the intended outcomes because of the proposed regulations. Details are further discussed below.

The analysis estimated the impact of the proposed regulations over a 10-year period from 2026 to 2035, with the year 2026 being when the final regulations are registered. Unless otherwise stated, all values are expressed in present value based on 2024 Canadian dollars and discounted to the base year of 2026 at a 7% discount rate.

A detailed cost-benefit analysis report is available upon request.

Affected Stakeholders

The proposed regulations would apply to individuals and entities that enter into arrangements with a foreign principal, defined broadly to include foreign states, powers, economic entities, and individuals acting on their behalf, for the purpose of conducting influence activities targeting Canada’s political or governmental processes. It is estimated that approximately 2,422 businesses and individuals (872 individuals and 1,550 businesses^{footnote 1}) would be affected. These individuals and businesses would also be subject to AMPs in cases of non-compliance with the proposed regulations.

The estimated number of registrants was derived by comparing figures from Australia’s Government Registries of Lobbyists (both federal and state) and its Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS). Analysis showed that FITS registrants represent approximately 10% of those in the lobbying registries. Given the structural and economic similarities between Canada and Australia, this proportion was applied across Canadian lobbying registries at the municipal, provincial, territorial and federal levels to establish a baseline. To estimate annual growth, the Canadian federal Registry of Lobbyists was used to calculate the average yearly increase in registrants from 2020 to 2024, with 10% of that figure applied to project new registrants for the proposed regulations.

Among the affected stakeholders, approximately 93% are considered Canadian (including Canadian citizens, institutions, and individuals residing in Canada), while the remaining 7% are foreign stakeholders. Consequently, cost estimates focus only on Canadian stakeholders, totalling approximately 2,252 (1,441 businesses and 811 individuals^{footnote 2}). This breakdown was derived using Australia’s FITS data by identifying registered entities and confirming whether they maintained an office in Australia. Entities with an office were classified as domestic; those without were considered foreign. This approach produced the 93%–7% split, which was then applied to individuals as well.

The Government of Canada would also be impacted, as it would be responsible for staffing FITCO, acquiring the IT infrastructure required to support the public registry and disclosure activities to the Commissioner. In addition, FITCO investigators would need to be trained and equipped to administer the new AMPs regime effectively.

Canadians would also be affected as they would benefit from an increase in economic benefit from enhanced transparency through the implementation of a public registry of foreign influence activities. They would also benefit from qualitative benefits such as improved transparency and accountability in political processes, stronger democratic institutions, increased public awareness of foreign interference threats, enhanced national security capacity, and greater alignment with international best practices.

Baseline and Regulatory Scenarios

Baseline Scenario

Under the baseline scenario, the public registry would not be implemented. As a result, the associated information submission and data management requirements would not be developed, nor would an AMPs regime be established to support compliance with the proposed regulations.

Individuals and entities acting on behalf of foreign principals are expected to continue their influence activities in Canada. However, there is currently no data on how many there are, their identities, or the specific foreign interests they represent. It is expected that FITCO would still be created and would operate at reduced capacity, as certain roles, such as those related to compliance investigations, AMPs administration, and IT support for the public registry, would not be required. FITCO’s activities would focus primarily on outreach, education, and raising awareness related to foreign influence.

Regulatory Scenario

Under the regulatory scenario, the proposed regulations would require individuals or entities entering into arrangements with a foreign principal for the purpose of conducting influence activities targeting Canadian political or governmental processes to provide certain information to the Commissioner, including requirements for timely updates to submitted data. These arrangements would be made publicly accessible through the public registry. The proposed regulations would also authorize specific entities to disclose information to the Commissioner to assist in carrying out duties under the FITAA, as well as allow the Commissioner to disclose information to specific entities, provided that privacy impacts are minimized and disclosure is necessary to fulfill the Commissioner’s mandate, or the disclosure may assist in identifying or investigating activities that undermine Canada’s security.

The proposed regulations would also establish specific data management requirements, including provisions for retention and disclosure. FITCO would be fully operational, with dedicated staff supporting IT infrastructure, data management, investigations and enforcement. An AMPs regime would be implemented, with the Commissioner and their office responsible for investigating potential non-compliance and administering penalties.

Benefits and costs

The proposed regulations are expected to enhance transparency and accountability regarding individuals and entities seeking to influence Canadian political and governmental processes. By specifying the information to be included in a public registry and further clarifying the AMPs regime, the proposed regulations aim to differential legitimate, transparent foreign influence from activities conducted covertly.

Over the ten-year analytical period from 2026 to 2035, the proposed regulations would result in incremental costs of approximately $442.5K to individuals and businesses to report and update their information on the public registry and $25.45M to the Government of Canada to develop the necessary IT infrastructure, establish FITCO and disclose information to the Commissioner. The proposed regulations would also result in an estimated benefit of $37.11M due to an increase in economic benefit from enhanced transparency through the implementation of a public registry of foreign influence activities. The resulting net benefits of the proposed regulations are estimated to be $11.21M.

In addition to these quantified benefits, the proposed regulations are expected to deliver a range of qualitative benefits, including improved transparency and accountability in political processes, stronger democratic institutions, increased public awareness of foreign interference threats, enhanced national security capacity, and greater alignment with international best practices.

Benefits

The benefits associated with the proposed regulations are presented both qualitatively and quantitatively in the section below.

Qualitative

Enhanced Transparency and Accountability

The proposed regulations would improve transparency and accountability in Canada’s political and governmental processes by requiring the public disclosure of open and transparent foreign influence activities. The proposed regulations would ensure that individuals and entities acting on behalf of foreign principals must register their arrangements, making them visible to the public. This transparency would distinguish between legitimate and covert influence, reinforcing public confidence in Canada’s democratic institutions.

Countering Non-Transparent Foreign Influence

Non-transparent foreign influence, which is covert efforts by foreign states or their proxies to shape Canadian policy or public opinion, poses a growing threat to national interests. The proposed regulations would address this challenge by requiring transparency in foreign influence activities, thereby reducing the space for clandestine operations. By shining a light on legitimate activities, the proposed regulations would deter covert actors and support Canada’s broader efforts to counter covert and non-transparent foreign influence. Further, investigations and enforcement would serve as essential instruments in addressing this type of influence, enabling FITCO to impose penalties on individuals or entities attempting to covertly influence Canadian democratic processes.

Strengthening Democratic Institutions

By promoting openness and accountability, the proposed regulations would help strengthen Canada’s democratic institutions. The public registry, along with the Commissioner’s enforcement tools, would play a key role in protecting the fairness and integrity of political decision-making across all levels of government. This would help ensure that public policy is shaped by actors who are transparent and accountable.

Public Awareness

The full establishment of FITCO would include activities for outreach, education, and public engagement. These efforts would aim to raise awareness of covert and non-transparent foreign influence threats and strengthen Canada’s ability to respond to them.

Alignment with International Best Practices

Canada has lagged key allies, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, in implementing dedicated legislation and regulations to address covert and non-transparent foreign influence. The proposed regulations would help close this gap by establishing a strong transparency framework aligned with the best international practices. This alignment would also strengthen Canada’s credibility as a trusted partner in advancing global security and protecting democratic institutions.

Support for National Security Objectives

The proposed regulations would support Canada’s national security. While Canada has tools to address lobbying, these were not designed to counter the unique threats posed by covert and non-transparent foreign influence. The proposed regulations to operationalize FITAA would fill this gap by introducing a targeted regime that enhances the government’s ability to detect, deter, and respond to this type of foreign influence.

Restoring Public Trust in Institutions

The proposed regulations would help rebuild public trust in Canadian institutions by enabling FITCO, an independent and apolitical body, to operate transparently and effectively. In recent years, growing concerns about covert and non-transparent foreign influence have led many Canadians to question whether government officials or processes are being unduly influenced by foreign principals. By requiring specific information that would be available in a public registry, the proposed regulations would provide Canadians with a clear and accessible tool to see who is engaging in foreign influence, the nature of their activities, and any enforcement actions taken. This visibility would help reassure the public that influence activities are being monitored and addressed appropriately.

Monetized benefits

The proposed regulations are expected to increase transparency. The literature review establishes that there is a statistically significant relationship between transparency and economic performance. The assessment of benefits uses this framework.

A 2024^{footnote 3} study found that a 1% increase in a country’s Statistical Capacity Indicator (SCI),^{footnote 4} a measure of transparency — results in a 0.03% increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Based on the most recent available data from 2020, Canada’s SCI score is 89.1 out of 100.

To compute the benefits, an estimate of how much the registry would increase Canada’s SCI score is needed. The SCI is a broad indicator, and the potential contribution of the foreign lobby registry is likely to be very small. The literature on political instability and economic growth was used to approximate the incremental contribution of a public registry on foreign influence activities to transparency, as measured by the SCI.^{footnote 5} The calculation suggests that covert and non-transparent foreign influence activities increase the political instability index, measured by the Risk Guide,^{footnote 6} by approximately 0.67%.^{footnote 7} This cost-benefit analysis assumes that the proposed regulations would increase the SCI for Canada by that amount.

The study used in this analysis relies on data from developing countries. However, research indicates that transparency policies are likely to have a smaller GDP effect on developed countries like Canada due to their higher baseline levels of transparency^{footnote 8} than in developing countries. To take this into account, an adjustment factor was constructed by comparing the average SCI scores of developing and developed countries. Using 2020 World Bank data, the average SCI score for developing countries was 64, while for developed countries it was 88. This difference produces an adjustment factor of 0.73, meaning that the effect of increased transparency in developed countries is estimated to be 73% of the effect observed in developing countries.

The relationship between GDP and transparency, the incremental impact of the regulatory proposal on the transparency index and the transparency adjustment indicator to account for different levels of development are combined to approximate the benefits. The implementation of a public registry of foreign influence activities is expected to generate a benefit of approximately $37.11 million over a 10-year period (2026 to 2035).

Costs

The total cost associated with the proposed regulations over the 2026 to 2035 time period is estimated to be $25.90M. Of this amount, approximately $442.5K would be incurred by individuals and entities that enter into arrangements with a foreign principal for the purpose of conducting influence activities targeting Canada’s political or governmental processes. The remaining $25.45M would be borne by the Government of Canada.

Costs to the Government of Canada

IT Solution

To support the public registry and the collection of information required under the proposed regulations, the Government of Canada would need to procure an IT solution. Through a third-party contract, the Government of Canada is expected to incur a cost of $1.25M in 2026 for the development and acquisition of the IT system, which would support both the registry and case management system.

A website would be developed to support the Commissioner’s mandate, as well as a simple form using GC Forms to allow affected stakeholders to submit their information, as well as a mechanism to publish this information, until the full registry and IT system are implemented by the end of 2026. This is estimated to cost approximately $250K. However, since its development would be completed prior to the registration of the proposed regulations, it is considered a sunk cost. As such, it falls outside the scope of this analysis and is not included in the cost estimates. However, the cost of maintaining the website is within scope and has been accounted for in the IT staffing cost estimates.

Once the IT solution is developed, maintenance and support costs would be provided by a third-party vendor. These services would include system updates, bug fixes, performance monitoring, helpdesk and user support, security patches and audits, and feature enhancements.

Based on vendor estimates, annual maintenance and support costs are estimated to be $500K per year from 2026 to 2030.^{footnote 9} Beginning in 2031, these responsibilities would transition to FITCO with associated costs captured in the FITCO staffing costs below. As a result, the total costs for maintenance and support costs from the vendor are estimated to be $1.82M between 2026 and 2035.

Office of the Foreign Influence and Transparency Commissioner

The Commissioner would be responsible for ensuring compliance with the proposed regulations, including managing the public registry, registry support, investigating compliance, disclosure and enforcing penalties through an AMPs regime. To support these activities, FITCO would be created at full capacity.

To support the implementation of FITAA and the proposed regulations, under the FITCO structure, two teams would be established: Policy, Public Affairs and Registration Support, and Compliance and Enforcement. The Policy, Public Affairs and Registration Support team would include Policy, Communications, and Registration Support. The Compliance and Enforcement team would consist of Investigation and Enforcement.

A Legal Advisor (LP-02) would be added to provide legal advice to the Commissioner. Further, while the Commissioner’s position (GCQ-06) is part of the baseline, their role would shift under the regulatory scenario, with the majority of their responsibilities focused on compliance and enforcement of the proposed regulations. As a result, 75% of the Commissioner’s wages have been included in the regulatory scenario cost estimates.

As a result, the Government of Canada is expected to incur approximately $21.99M^{footnote 10} in staffing costs for FITCO between 2026 and 2035.^{footnote 11}

Disclosure by the Commissioner

Under the regulatory scenario, the Commissioner may exchange information with federal and intelligence partners, other federal entities, and provincial, territorial, or municipal bodies responsible for elections, lobbying, or ethics if the disclosure will not affect any person’s privacy interests more than is reasonably necessary in the circumstances. Disclosure may also occur to designated institutions under the Security of Canada Information Disclosure Act if the Commissioner believes, on reasonable grounds, that the disclosure may assist that institution in identifying the existence of an activity that undermines the security of Canada. This cost is part of FITCO’s operations and is captured through the work of the Commissioner and their office. The cost is not estimated separately.

Disclosure to the Commissioner

Under the regulatory scenario, approximately 268 federal institutions would be authorized to disclose information to the Commissioner for the purpose of supporting the Commissioner’s duties and functions under FITAA.

It is assumed that a manager-level employee (typically at the EC-07 classification, or equivalent) from each affected organization would spend about one hour twice per year on disclosure activities to the Commissioner. This is expected to result in an incremental cost of $393.4K to these federal institutions over the period 2026 to 2035.

Costs to Individuals and Entities

Initial Registration Activities

Under the regulatory scenario, affected individuals and entities would be required to familiarize themselves with the regulatory requirements. This could be done by reading the regulations, consulting guidance materials available that would be available on Canada.ca, or by contacting the registry support team. Registrants would likely need to create an account and submit required information for each arrangement with a foreign principal, including details of the foreign organization, and disclose the nature of the activities related to influencing Canadian governmental or political processes.

These activities are expected to take one hour for each registrant. The one-hour estimate assumes that registrants would need sufficient time to complete several tasks: reviewing guidance materials, understanding compliance requirements, creating an account, and submitting the necessary information for each arrangement with a foreign principal.

It is anticipated that approximately 1,767 registrants would submit information annually, with an additional 54 new registrants each year. As previously noted, the annual number of registrants was estimated using data from provincial, territorial, municipal, and federal lobbying registries, resulting in approximately 950 paid registrants per year. However, this figure does not include unpaid individuals or entities, such as individuals and entities working pro bono. For example, an individual or entity could engage in foreign influence activities, free of charge, for their country of origin. To account for these, the estimate was adjusted to approximately 1 900 registrants annually. This figure was doubled based on input from subject matter experts at PS, who indicated that for every paid lobbyist, there is typically an unpaid advocacy group on the opposite side. Accordingly, the estimate was increased from 950 to 1 900 to account for unpaid advocacy efforts. The estimate for new registrants each year was similarly increased to reflect both paid and unpaid individuals and entities (58 new registrants). To estimate annual growth, the Canadian federal Registry of Lobbyists was used to calculate the average yearly increase in registrants from 2020 to 2024, with 10% of that figure applied to project new FITAA registrants, resulting in an estimate of 29 new registrants per year, which was then doubled to account for unpaid individuals and entities.

The resulting figures were then multiplied by 93% to estimate the number of Canadian stakeholders affected (1 767 registrants and 54 new registrants). This breakdown was derived using Australia’s FITS data by identifying registered entities and confirming whether they maintained an office in Australia. Entities with an office were classified as domestic; those without were considered foreign. This approach produced the 93%–7% split, which was then applied to individuals as well.

Because no direct data exists on the number of stakeholders likely to be affected by the proposed regulations, lobbying registries were used as a proxy to establish a reasonable estimate. The proportion was derived by examining Australia’s FITS in relation to its lobbying registries, where registrants under the Australia’s scheme represented approximately 10% of those in their state and federal lobbying registries. This 10% ratio was then applied to the Canadian context. This approach was considered appropriate given the economic and structural similarities between Australia and Canada, and it provided a practical basis for estimating potential stakeholders.

Based on national security expertise within PS, roughly half of affected stakeholders are expected to be paid for their services, while the other half would be unpaid. It is assumed that each registrant would only be required to submit one registration per year (i.e. each registrant would have only one arrangement).^{footnote 12} A registration refers to the formal obligation for individuals or entities acting on behalf of a foreign principal to disclose their arrangements and activities when those activities aim to influence political or governmental processes in Canada.

As a result, initial registration activities are estimated to take one hour per registrant, at an hourly rate of $56.60,^{footnote 13} resulting in a total cost of $166.8K in 2026.

Ongoing Updates and Confirmations

In addition to initial registration, the proposed regulations would require registrants to update their information or confirm that no changes have occurred. It is assumed that each registrant would complete one update and one confirmation annually.^{footnote 14} For example, a registrant who previously disclosed an arrangement with a foreign organization might update their submission to reflect a change in the scope of activities or confirm that no changes have occurred if the arrangement remains the same.

According to PS subject matter experts, updates are expected to take 15 minutes, while confirmations would take five minutes. For updates, a registrant would simply reopen their submission and make any necessary changes, rather than re-entering all information from scratch. Therefore, 15 minutes is considered sufficient for this task. For confirmation, 5 minutes is deemed adequate, as the registrants would only need to log into their account, review their details, and confirm that no changes are required. Using the same wage rate assumptions as previously stated, the total cost of these activities is estimated to be $280.7K over the 10-year period.

Cost-benefit statement (mandatory for significant-cost-impact proposals)

• Number of years: 10 (2026 to 2035)
• Price year: 2024
• Present-value base year: 2026
• Discount rate: 7%

Table 1: Monetized benefits (present value in millions)^{footnote 15}

Impacted stakeholder	Description of benefit	Base year: 2026	Annual average (2027-2034)	Final year: 2035	Total (present value)	Annualized value
Canadians	Increase in GDP due to enhanced transparency	$4.60	$3.70	$2.91	$37.11	$5.28
All stakeholders	Total benefits	$4.60	$3.70	$2.91	$37.11	$5.28

Table 2: Monetized costs (present value in millions)

Impacted stakeholder	Description of cost	Base year: 2026	Annual average (2027-2034)	Final year: 2035	Total (present value)	Annualized value
Registrants	Initial Registration Activities	$0.10	$0.01	$0.01	$0.17	$0.02
	On-going updates and confirmation	$0.03	$0.03	$0.02	$0.28	$0.04
Government of Canada	IT System	$1.38	$0.21	$0.00	$3.07	$0.44
	Staffing FITCO	$3.05	$2.17	$1.59	$21.99	$3.13
	Disclosure to the Commissioner	$0.05	$0.04	$0.03	$0.39	$0.06
All stakeholders	Total costs	$4.61	$2.46	$1.64	$25.90	$3.69

Table 3: Summary of monetized benefits and costs (present value in millions)

Impact	Base year	Other relevant years	Final year	Total (present value)	Annualized value
Total benefits	$4.60	$3.70	$2.91	$37.11	$5.28
Total costs	$4.61	$2.46	$1.64	$25.90	$3.69
Net impact	-$0.01	$1.24	$1.28	$11.21	$1.60

Qualitative impacts

Positive impacts

• Public disclosure of legitimate foreign influence activities would improve visibility and distinguish between legitimate and covert efforts, reinforcing trust in democratic institutions.
• Increased transparency and enforcement powers would deter covert and non-transparent foreign influence and support national efforts to protect Canadian policy and public opinion.
• Promoting openness and accountability would help safeguard the fairness and integrity of political decision-making across all levels of government.
• Outreach and education initiatives would raise awareness of covert and non-transparent foreign influence threats and strengthen Canada’s capacity to respond.
• The proposed regulations would bring Canada in line with allies like the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, enhancing its credibility in global security and democratic protection.
• A targeted regime would fill gaps in existing tools, improving the government’s ability to detect, deter, and respond to covert and non-transparent foreign influence.
• A public registry managed by an independent body would provide transparency and reassurance that foreign influence is being monitored and addressed.

Sensitivity Analysis

As previously described, a number of assumptions have been made to estimate the costs of the proposed regulations. To address the effect of uncertainty and variability on these assumptions, a sensitivity analysis is conducted, where variables are assigned different values, and outcomes are re-evaluated. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the following variables: of registrants and transparency adjustment indicator for developed countries.

Number of registrants

The central analysis assumes 1,767 registrants per year. The sensitivity analysis presents the results if this number was doubled and decreased by 50%.

Table 6: Sensitivity analysis results – Number of registrants (in millions of dollars)
Note: the “1,767” cost and benefit values represent the central case.

Parameter	Total cost	Total benefit	Net benefit
884	$25.67M	$37.11M	$11.44M
1,767	$25.90M	$37.11M	$11.21M
3,534	$26.33M	$37.11M	$10.78M

Table 7: Sensitivity analysis results – Transparency adjustment indicator for developed countries (in millions of dollars)
Note: the “73%” cost and benefit values represent the central case.

Parameter	Total cost	Total benefit	Net benefit
25%	$25.90M	$12.71M	-$13.19M
73%	$25.90M	$37.11M	$11.21M
90%	$25.90M	$45.75M	$19.85M

Distributional Analysis

Aside from the cost to government, the proposed regulations would primarily affect individuals, small and medium/large businesses, and nonprofit organizations, including charities and universities^{footnote 16}. Collectively, they are expected incur around $159K in costs. Individuals are expected to account for approximately 35.9% of the total estimated costs. Small businesses would bear the largest share among entities, representing about 39.8%, while medium and large businesses would incur roughly 16.9%. Nonprofits, charities, and universities combined are anticipated to experience a smaller impact, contributing about 7.4% of the costs.

Table 8: Costs by Impacted Stakeholder (in millions of dollars)

Stakeholders	Total costs to stakeholders	Share of costs
Individuals	$159.01K	35.9%
Medium/Large Businesses	$74.83K	16.9%
Small Businesses	$176.02K	39.8%
Nonprofits/Charities/Universities	$32.60K	7.4%
Total	$442.46K	100%

Small business lens

The small business lens applies, as there are impacts on small businesses associated with the proposed regulations. It is estimated that approximately 70% of entities^{footnote 17} (1,009 businesses) who enter into an arrangement with a foreign principal are a small business. The proposed regulations would result in an incremental cost of $198.4K (or an average of $196.6 per business) over the 10-year analytical period to small businesses, or an annualized cost of $28,250 (or an average of $28.00 per business).

Small business lens summary

• Number of small businesses impacted: 1,009
• Number of years: 10 (2026 to 2035)
• Price year: 2024
• Present-value base year: 2026
• Discount rate: 7%

Table 9: Costs

Administrative or compliance	Description of benefit	Present value	Annualized value
Compliance	Cost to register, updates and confirmation of no change	$198,415	$28,250
Total	Total costs	$198,415	$28,250

Table 10: Net impacts

Amount	Present value	Annualized value
Net impact on all impacted small businesses	$198,415	$28,250
Average net impact on each impacted small businessfootnote 18	$198,415	$28,250

One-for-one rule

The one-for-one rule does not apply as the proposed regulations would not result in an incremental change in administrative burden for business. Under the Red Tape Reduction Act (RTRA), administrative burden is those requirements that are intended to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. In this case, disclosure is not secondary and is the core purpose of the proposed regulations. The reporting obligation is therefore considered a compliance activity, not an administrative one under the RTRA definition. While the process of submitting information is an administrative process, in this it falls outside the legal definition because it is integral to achieving the objective of the proposed regulations.

Regulatory cooperation and alignment

The proposed regulations were developed following a comprehensive assessment of regulatory approaches in relevant domestic and international jurisdictions to identify opportunities for alignment and cooperation while meeting Canada’s policy objectives.

To reduce burden and improve transparency, PS reviewed federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal lobbying registries. The Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada was identified as a key reference because it shares the goal of promoting transparency and keeping a public registry. The proposed regulations set registration requirements, update timelines, and data retention periods in a similar manner to the Lobbying Act to make compliance easier for those who interact with both regimes. However, not all proposed regulations are replicated, as the scope of individuals required to register with the Commissioner is broader than under the Lobbying Act, and the types of activities that trigger registration under FITAA also differ.

The review also confirmed the need for FITCO’s 20-year data retention policy and highlighted the importance of having the ability to disclose information with provinces and territories to facilitate the exchange of intelligence on non-compliance and support coordinated enforcement efforts.

International Jurisdictions

The proposed regulations aim to align Canada with international best practices and were informed by a detailed analysis of foreign influence registries in key jurisdictions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, which have implemented similar transparency regimes.

Although the proposed regulations share some features with international counterparts, such as independent oversight, a Canada-specific approach was deemed necessary to meet domestic goals and maintain independence. Any potential challenges from diverging from international models are mitigated through ongoing engagement with international partners and alignment with best practices.

International obligations

The proposed regulations do not engage any of Canada’s international obligations.

Effects on the environment

In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment (SEEA), a preliminary scan was conducted for this regulatory proposal. The scan concluded that a Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment is not required.

Gender-based Analysis Plus

Racialized groups may experience suspicion or discrimination as a result of information posted in the public registry, particularly if certain countries appear more often than others. To address this, the proposed regulations are designed to be country-neutral and apply equally to all individuals and entities acting on behalf of any foreign principal, regardless of origin.

The Commissioner would develop guidance materials and lead outreach initiatives to mitigate potential stigma. These communications would emphasize that registration supports Canada’s transparency and national security objectives, as outlined in FITAA.

Investigations into potential non-compliance may use information from anonymous sources, who could face retaliation from foreign states. To protect these individuals, many of whom are presumed to belong to diaspora or racial minority communities, the Commissioner, and any person acting on their behalf or under their direction, would not be able to disclose any information obtained in the performance of their duties except as authorized by FITAA.

PS intends to continue to work closely with diaspora communities during implementation to ensure communities are not unintentionally targeted. This collaboration would help shape the approach and outreach strategy. PS intends to tailor communications to meet the needs of these communities.

FITAA also includes a mandatory five-year review by Parliament and oversight by both the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA). These bodies can look at and address any issues related to gender, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Implementation, compliance and enforcement, and service standards

Implementation

The proposed regulations would come into force when the FITAA comes into force. If the regulations are registered after that date, they would take effect on the day they are registered.

When FITAA comes into force, reporting requirements for registrants would begin immediately. To ensure timely access, plain-language guidance and FAQs would be posted on the Canada.ca website. The website would also host step-by-step instructions for registration, and infographics outlining obligations under the proposed regulations. In addition, stakeholders would be informed through direct outreach and public notices. These steps guarantee that the proposed regulations would be publicly available and easy to find as soon as reporting requirements begin. Further, a dedicated support team would be available to respond to inquiries and assist registrants.

On coming into force, registrants would be able to submit the information required by the proposed regulations via an interim IT solution. Initially, registrants would submit their information through GC Forms, and this data would be published in a public-facing registry on the Canada.ca website.

To comply with proposed requirements to provide updates on existing agreements, registrants would be required to complete a new submission through GC Forms and select whether the submission is an update or a no-change confirmation.

The interim IT infrastructure supporting the public registry would be finalized and tested prior to the proposed regulations coming into force. PS intends to transition to a long-term, fully integrated registration system by the end of 2026.

To ensure the successful implementation of the proposed regulations, the Canada.ca website would provide guidance documents on the registration requirements and processes to support registration and ensure that affected individuals and entities understand how to register. FITCO would prioritize outreach and guidance during this early phase to facilitate compliance.

Compliance and enforcement

Detection of Non-Compliance

Non-compliance would be detected through multiple channels, including the assessment of information contained in registration submissions, proactive disclosures from the public to FITCO, disclosure between partners, and independent investigations conducted by FITCO, as required.

These mechanisms would support proactive and reactive detection of violations. Detection of a potential violation could lead to the initiation of an investigation to confirm compliance with FITAA. Investigations would determine whether the subject is compliant with the proposed regulations and FITAA. If non-compliance is found, the Commissioner may impose an AMP or refer the matter to an enforcement partner to pursue as an offence under FITAA.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

FITAA designates the following as violations:

• Failure to provide information within 14 days of entering into an agreement with a foreign principal;
• Failure to update information as per the proposed regulations; and
• Knowingly providing false or misleading information to the Commissioner.

In the case of non-compliance, the FITAA allows the Commissioner to impose an AMP or to pursue a criminal conviction. The FITAA also allows the Commissioner to pursue a conviction for persons who knowingly obstruct the work of the Commissioner or people acting on the Commissioner’s behalf or direction. This could result in:

• On summary conviction, a fine of up to $200,000, up to two years in prison, or both; or
• On conviction on indictment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, up to five years in prison, or both.

The Commissioner may also leverage non-punitive enforcement tools to encourage compliance with FITAA such as entering into a compliance agreement with a person after a notice of violation may be issued. Fulfillment of a compliance agreement may reduce or eliminate a monetary penalty.

Contact

Office of the National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator
National Security Branch
Department of Public Safety
340 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P9
Email: fipublicconsultations-consultationspubliqueei@ps-sp.gc.ca

PROPOSED REGULATORY TEXT

Notice is given that the Governor in Council proposes to make the annexed Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Regulations under sections 22 and 27 of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act ^{footnote a}.

Interested persons may make representations concerning the proposed Regulations within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. They are strongly encouraged to use the online commenting feature that is available on the Canada Gazette website but if they use email, mail or any other means, the representations should cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be sent to the Office of the National Foreign Interference Coordinator, National Security Branch, Public Safety Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8 (email: fipublicconsultations-consultationspubliqueei@ps-sp.gc.ca).

Ottawa, December 22, 2025

Janna Rinaldi
Acting Assistant Clerk of the Privy Council

Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Regulations

Definitions

Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

Act

means the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act. (Loi)

influence activities

means the activities referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act. (activités d’influence)

registry

means the registry established by the Commissioner under section 8 of the Act. (registre)

Provision of Information

Entry into arrangement

2 (1) For the purpose of subsection 5(1) of the Act, the information with which a person who enters into an arrangement with a foreign principal must provide the Commissioner is

• (a) if the person is an individual,
  • (i) their full name and any alternate names,
  • (ii) their date and place of birth,
  • (iii) their primary civic and mailing addresses and all of their other Canadian and foreign civic and mailing addresses,
  • (iv) their home, cellular and work telephone numbers,
  • (v) their preferred email address for contact purposes,
  • (vi) their current and any past citizenships,
  • (vii) their employer and occupation, and
  • (viii) the full name and date and place of birth of any other individual who has participated or is expected to participate in a significant manner in the carrying out of influence activities under the arrangement and an indication of the nature of that individual’s participation;
• (b) if the person is not an individual,
  • (i) their legal name and any operational names, if different,
  • (ii) their primary civic and mailing addresses,
  • (iii) the full name, date and place of birth, telephone number and email address of their contact person for the purposes of the Act,
  • (iv) in the case of a corporation, its incorporation number and jurisdiction of incorporation and, if it is a subsidiary, the name, primary civic address, incorporation number and jurisdiction of incorporation of its parent company,
  • (v) in the case of a registered charity, its registration number and jurisdiction of registration,
  • (vi) their website, if any, which may include a social media web page if that is their main internet presence,
  • (vii) their mandate, and
  • (viii) the full name and date and place of birth of every individual who has participated or is expected to participate in a significant manner in the carrying out of influence activities under the arrangement and an indication of the nature of each of those individuals’ participation;
• (c) in respect of the foreign principal,
  • (i) their name,
  • (ii) their primary civic address, if any,
  • (iii) their website, if any, which may include a social media web page if that is their main internet presence,
  • (iv) an indication of the basis on which they meet the definition foreign principal in section 2 of the Act, including, if they meet that definition due to an association with a state or group of states, the names of those states, and
  • (v) the full name, position title, telephone number and email address of each of their representatives with whom the person has communicated or expects to communicate in relation to the arrangement;
• (d) a description of the arrangement, including
  • (i) its start and end dates,
  • (ii) any compensation or other benefit that has been or is to be provided to the person by the foreign principal in relation to the arrangement,
  • (iii) the political or governmental process to which the arrangement relates,
  • (iv) the types of influence activities that the person has undertaken to carry out under the arrangement,
  • (v) in the case of influence activities described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the target of those influence activities, for example, public office holders, groups of Canadians or persons in Canada or private or not-for-profit organizations in Canada,
  • (vi) the details set out in subsections (2) to (4), as the case may be, in respect of the influence activities that the person has undertaken to carry out under the arrangement, and
  • (vii) the foreign principal’s stated objective under the arrangement.

Details — communication with public office holder

(2) In the case of influence activities described in paragraph (a) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the details to be provided in respect of those activities are the following:

• (a) with respect to each public office holder with whom the person has communicated or expects to communicate under the arrangement,
  • (i) their full name,
  • (ii) their position title, and
  • (iii) the name and jurisdiction of the entity of which they are an employee, member or appointee and the name of their organizational unit, if any;
• (b) the means by which the communications between the person and each public office holder have occurred or are expected to occur, such as in writing, in person or by telecommunication;
• (c) the month and year of the actual or expected start and end dates of the communications between the person and each public office holder; and
• (d) the estimated maximum number of communications between the person and each public office holder.

Details — communication and dissemination of information

(3) In the case of influence activities described in paragraph (b) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the details to be provided in respect of those activities are the following:

• (a) the means by which the information relating to the political or governmental process has been or is to be communicated or disseminated, such as social media, television, radio, audio or visual recordings, emails, text messages, telephone calls or electronic or print publications, including newspapers and newsletters;
• (b) if the means referred to in paragraph (a) include social media content or advertising,
  • (i) the names of all social media platforms that have been or are to be used,
  • (ii) all usernames or other account identifiers that have been or are to be used on each of those platforms, and
  • (iii) the name and URL of any forums, groups, threads, communities or channels that have been or are to be managed on each of those platforms by the holder of an account referred to in subparagraph (ii);
• (c) if the means referred to in paragraph (a) include television or radio programming or advertising, the networks or stations on which the programs or advertisements have been or are to be broadcast;
• (d) if the means referred to in paragraph (a) include recorded audio or visual content or advertising, the titles of the recordings, if any, and the platforms through which they have been or are to be made available;
• (e) if the means referred to in paragraph (a) include content or advertising in electronic or print publications, the names of those publications;
• (f) for each of the means referred to in paragraph (a), the month and year of the actual or expected start and end dates of the communication or dissemination; and
• (g) for each of the means referred to in paragraph (a), the estimated maximum number of times that the information will be communicated or disseminated.

Details — provision of benefit

(4) In the case of influence activities described in paragraph (c) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the details to be provided in respect of those activities are the following:

• (a) if the influence activities include the distribution of money,
  • (i) the month and year of the actual or expected start and end dates of the distribution,
  • (ii) the estimated maximum number of people to whom money has been or will be distributed,
  • (iii) the estimated maximum value in Canadian dollars of any single distribution of money, and
  • (iv) the estimated total value in Canadian dollars of all money that has been or is expected to be distributed;
• (b) if the influence activities include the distribution of items of value,
  • (i) a description of the items that have been or are expected to be distributed,
  • (ii) the month and year of the actual or expected start and end dates of the distribution,
  • (iii) the estimated maximum number of people to whom the items have been or will be distributed,
  • (iv) the estimated maximum value in Canadian dollars of any single item that has been or is expected to be distributed, and
  • (v) the estimated total value in Canadian dollars of all items that have been or are expected to be distributed;
• (c) if the influence activities include the provision of services,
  • (i) a description of the services that have been or are expected to be provided,
  • (ii) the month and year of the actual or expected start and end dates of the provision of the services,
  • (iii) the estimated maximum number of people to whom the services have been or will be provided,
  • (iv) the estimated maximum value in Canadian dollars of any single service that has been or is expected to be provided, and
  • (v) the estimated total value in Canadian dollars of all services that have been or are expected to be provided;
• (d) if the influence activities include providing the use of a facility, for each facility,
  • (i) its name and civic address,
  • (ii) the month and year of the actual or expected start and end dates of the provision of the use of the facility,
  • (iii) the purposes for which it has been or will be used, such as hosting an event, conducting business or providing accommodations, and
  • (iv) the estimated maximum number of individuals who have attended or are expected to attend the facility for each of those purposes; and
• (e) if any of the influence activities are directed at a public office holder,
  • (i) the public office holder’s full name,
  • (ii) their position title, and
  • (iii) the name and jurisdiction of the entity of which they are an employee, member or appointee and the name of their organizational unit, if any.

Exception

(5) The details referred to in subparagraphs (1)(a)(viii), (b)(viii) and (d)(vi) are not required in respect of influence activities that were carried out before the day on which these Regulations come into force.

Updates

3 (1) For the purpose of subsection 5(2) of the Act, the person must provide the Commissioner with an update

• (a) no later than 15 days after the end of the month in which any of that information referred to in section 2 changes; and
• (b) no later than 15 days after the end of the fifth consecutive month in which no update has been provided in accordance with this section.

Contents

(2) The update must set out all the changes to the information referred to in section 2 since that information was provided or last updated and include a confirmation that information for which no changes have been indicated is complete and correct as of the end of the previous month.

Registry

Contents

4 The registry must contain the information provided under section 5 of the Act that is included in the following classes, other than information for which there are reasonable grounds to believe that making it public would present a threat to an individual’s personal safety or reasonable grounds to suspect that it is false or misleading:

• (a) in respect of each individual who has entered into an arrangement, the information referred to in subparagraphs 2(1)(a)(i) and (vii) as well as the country and province, state or other political subdivision of their primary civic address referred to in subparagraph 2(1)(a)(iii);
• (b) in respect of every other person who has entered into an arrangement,
  • (i) the information referred to in subparagraphs 2(1)(b)(i) and (vi),
  • (ii) the country and province, state or other political subdivision of their primary civic address referred to in subparagraph 2(1)(b)(ii), and
  • (iii) as applicable, the information referred to in subparagraph 2(1)(b)(iv), other than their parent company’s primary civic address, or the information referred to in subparagraph 2(1)(b)(v);
• (c) in respect of each individual referred to in subparagraph 2(1)(a)(viii) or (b)(viii), their full name and the nature of their participation in carrying out the influence activities;
• (d) in respect of each foreign principal with which a person has entered into an arrangement, the information referred to in subparagraphs 2(1)(c)(i), (iii) and (iv) and the country and province, state or other political subdivision of their primary civic address referred to in subparagraph 2(1)(c)(ii);
• (e) in respect of each arrangement, the information referred to in subparagraphs 2(1)(d)(i), (iii) to (v) and (vii) and,
  • (i) if the arrangement involves influence activities described in paragraph (a) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the information referred to in subsection 2(2),
  • (ii) if the arrangement involves influence activities described in paragraph (b) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the information referred to in subsection 2(3), and
  • (iii) if the arrangement involves influence activities described in paragraph (c) of the definition arrangement in section 2 of the Act, the information referred to in paragraphs 2(4)(a) to (c) and subparagraphs 2(4)(d)(ii) to (iv).

Retention of information

5 The Commissioner must retain the information contained in the registry for 20 years after the day on which the arrangement to which it relates ends.

Disclosure of Information

Disclosure to the Commissioner

6 The following entities are authorized to disclose information to the Commissioner and any other individual referred to in subsection 11(1) of the Act for the purpose of assisting in the performance of the Commissioner’s duties and functions under the Act:

• (a) the government institutions set out in the schedule to the Privacy Act;
• (b) the office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner;
• (c) the office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections; and
• (d) the Canadian Armed Forces.

Disclosure by the Commissioner

7 For the purpose of paragraph 15(e) of the Act, the Commissioner and any person acting on their behalf or under their direction may, if they are satisfied that the disclosure will not affect any person’s privacy interest more than is reasonably necessary in the circumstances, disclose information that comes to their knowledge in the performance of their duties and functions under the Act to

• (a) a government institution set out in the schedule to the Privacy Act, the office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, the Canadian Armed Forces or any provincial, territorial or municipal body responsible for elections, lobbying or conflict of interest matters, if the disclosure is, in the opinion of the Commissioner, necessary to obtain from that institution other information that may assist in the performance of the Commissioner’s duties and functions under the Act; and
• (b) a Government of Canada institution set out in column 1 of Schedule 3 to the Security of Canada Information Disclosure Act, if the Commissioner believes on reasonable grounds that the disclosure may assist that institution in identifying the existence of an activity that undermines the security of Canada, as defined in subsection 2(1) of that Act.

Administrative Monetary Penalties

Penalties

8 (1) The range of administrative monetary penalties that may be imposed in respect of a violation is from $50 to $1,000,000.

Factors

(2) The Commissioner must take into account the following factors in relation to the imposition of an administrative monetary penalty on a person who has committed a violation, including when determining the amount of the penalty to which the person is liable:

• (a) the person’s history of compliance with the Act;
• (b) the impact of the violation, including the severity of actual or potential harm to the transparency of foreign influence activities;
• (c) whether the violation was intentional or inadvertent;
• (d) the person’s capacity to pay; and
• (e) following the issuance of a notice of violation to the person, their responsiveness and cooperation with the Commissioner.

Compliance agreement

9 (1) The Commissioner may, in a notice of violation issued to a person or following representations made by the person to the Commissioner with respect to the violation or penalty, offer to enter into a compliance agreement with the person, whereby a lesser specified penalty, or no penalty, will be imposed if the person satisfies the requirements of the compliance agreement within the time specified in the agreement.

Non-satisfaction

(2) The compliance agreement must specify the amount of the penalty that will be imposed if the person does not satisfy the requirements of the agreement, which amount must not exceed the amount set out in the notice of violation.

Service

10 (1) A notice of violation issued under subsection 19(1) of the Act or a notice of a decision made under subsection 20(2) or (3) of the Act may be in paper or electronic form and must be served using the most recent contact information provided to the Commissioner under section 5 of the Act or, if no contact information has been provided under that section, contact information that the Commissioner has obtained from a reliable source.

Date

(2) The notice is presumed to be served 10 days after the day on which it is sent using the contact information referred to in subsection (1).

Debt due to His Majesty

11 An administrative monetary penalty that has been imposed on a person constitutes a debt due to His Majesty in right of Canada and may be recovered in the Federal Court or any other court of competent jurisdiction.

Delegation of powers, duties and functions

12 An individual referred to in subsection 11(1) of the Act may exercise or perform any of the Commissioner’s powers, duties and functions under sections 19 to 21 of the Act in respect of which they have been designated — as an individual or as a member of a class of individuals — in writing by the Commissioner.

Coming into Force

S.C. 2024, c. 16, s. 113

13 These Regulations come into force on the day on which paragraph 4(a) of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, as enacted by section 113 of the Countering Foreign Interference Act, comes into force, but if they are registered after that day, they come into force on the day on which they are registered.

Terms of use and Privacy notice

Terms of use

It is your responsibility to ensure that the comments you provide do not:

• contain personal information
• contain protected or classified information of the Government of Canada
• express or incite discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or against any other group protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• contain hateful, defamatory, or obscene language
• contain threatening, violent, intimidating or harassing language
• contain language contrary to any federal, provincial or territorial laws of Canada
• constitute impersonation, advertising or spam
• encourage or incite any criminal activity
• contain external links
• contain a language other than English or French
• otherwise violate this notice

The federal institution managing the proposed regulatory change retains the right to review and remove personal information, hate speech, or other information deemed inappropriate for public posting as listed above.

Confidential Business Information should only be posted in the specific Confidential Business Information text box. In general, Confidential Business Information includes information that (i) is not publicly available, (ii) is treated in a confidential manner by the person to whose business the information relates, and (iii) has actual or potential economic value to the person or their competitors because it is not publicly available and whose disclosure would result in financial loss to the person or a material gain to their competitors. Comments that you provide in the Confidential Business Information section that satisfy this description will not be made publicly available. The federal institution managing the proposed regulatory change retains the right to post the comment publicly if it is not deemed to be Confidential Business Information.

Your comments will be posted on the Canada Gazette website for public review. However, you have the right to submit your comments anonymously. If you choose to remain anonymous, your comments will be made public and attributed to an anonymous individual. No other information about you will be made publicly available.

Comments will remain posted on the Canada Gazette website for at least 10 years.

Please note that communication by email is not secure, if the attachment you wish to send contains sensitive information, please contact the departmental email to discuss ways in which you can transmit sensitive information.

Privacy notice

The information you provide is collected under the authority of the Financial Administration Act, the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act, the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement Implementation Act,and applicable regulators’ enabling statutes for the purpose of collecting comments related to the proposed regulatory changes. Your comments and documents are collected for the purpose of increasing transparency in the regulatory process and making Government more accessible to Canadians.

Personal information submitted is collected, used, disclosed, retained, and protected from unauthorized persons and/or agencies pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act and the Privacy Regulations. Individual names that are submitted will not be posted online but will be kept for contact if needed. The names of organizations that submit comments will be posted online.

Submitted information, including personal information, will be accessible to Public Services and Procurement Canada, who is responsible for the Canada Gazette webpage, and the federal institution managing the proposed regulatory change.

You have the right of access to and correction of your personal information. To seek access or correction of your personal information, contact the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office of the federal institution managing the proposed regulatory change.

You have the right to file a complaint to the Privacy Commission of Canada regarding any federal institution’s handling of your personal information.

The personal information provided is included in Personal Information Bank PSU 938 Outreach Activities. Individuals requesting access to their personal information under the Privacy Act should submit their request to the appropriate regulator with sufficient information for that federal institution to retrieve their personal information. For individuals who choose to submit comments anonymously, requests for their information may not be reasonably retrievable by the government institution.