The Canadian federal government has published long-awaited proposed regulations for a foreign agent registry, estimating that nearly 2,500 businesses and individuals in the country are secretly working on behalf of foreign states to influence politics and government.
Scope and Scale of Foreign Influence
According to the regulatory document published on Saturday, January 7, 2026, the government projects that 1,550 businesses and 872 individuals will be required to publicly declare their foreign influence activities once the registry is operational. This estimation, which totals 2,422 entities, is based on Australia's experience with a similar registry established in 2018.
The proposed framework details the information these agents must provide to a yet-to-be-appointed Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner. The regulations also outline penalties for non-compliance, ranging from $50 to $1,000,000.
Delays and Enforcement Concerns
Despite previous suggestions that the registry would be active by 2025, the Liberal government has not yet named the commissioner who will oversee the system. This delay highlights ongoing challenges in implementing the transparency tool.
Dennis Molinaro, a former intelligence analyst and author, stated that the estimated number underscores the registry's urgency but also raised significant concerns about enforcement capacity. "If that's accurate, it means a scale of influence that's already significant. A registry of that size only matters if it leads to enforcement, and it raises real capacity concerns," Molinaro warned. He further expressed worry about "managed compliance rather than deterrence of a counter-intelligence threat."
Canada's Position Among Allies
The proposed regulations acknowledge that Canada lags behind key allies like the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Australia in establishing such a transparency mechanism. The document states, "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."
It clarifies that while many countries engage in foreign influence activities in Canada—often through legal means—the core issue is covert interference using illegitimate methods like misinformation and disinformation to sway democratic institutions and public opinion.
The establishment of the registry aims to shed light on these hidden activities, providing a critical tool for public accountability and national security in an era of increasing geopolitical competition.
