CTRL - Canadian Tech Rights Lab

Original Requests

In August 2025, we asked the RCMP, CBSA, and Vancouver Police Department for the following information:

All records from 2020 to present relating to the search or seizure of electronic devices, including but not limited to smartphones, computers, tablets, and storage media. This includes, without limitation:

Policies and Procedures

• Policies, procedures, guidelines, and criteria governing the targeting, authorization, or conduct of searches or seizures of electronic devices.
• Policies and procedures regarding the requesting of passwords, passphrases, biometrics, or other access credentials from device owners or users, including procedures for addressing refusals.
• Policies governing the retention, return, or disposal of seized electronic devices.
• Policies governing the retention, use, deletion, or sharing (with other agencies or governments) of data copied or extracted from electronic devices.
• Policies and procedures relating to the accessing of data stored on cloud services through applications or logged-in accounts on electronic devices during or after a search or seizure.

Tools and Technical Capabilities

• Records describing or relating to software or hardware tools used to conduct searches or seizures of electronic devices, including tools used to bypass encryption, biometrics, passwords, passphrases, or other security measures.
• For each such tool, any manuals, technical documentation, training material, promotional material, contracts, purchase orders, or other records.

Privacy and Oversight

• Privacy Impact Assessments or similar assessments, reviews, or reports relating to:

  • the search or seizure of electronic devices;
  • the requesting of passwords, passphrases, biometrics, or other access credentials;
  • the accessing of cloud data via electronic devices;
  • the retention, use, or sharing of device data.

Statistics

• Statistical records, reports, or summaries showing:

  • the number of times access credentials (passwords, passphrases, biometrics) were requested from device owners or users;
  • the number of times such requests were refused;
  • the number of times hardware or software tools were used to facilitate searches or seizures of electronic devices or the data on them.

Status of Requests

As of October 26, 2025:

Adjusted Requests

RCMP

The RCMP asked that the request be narrowed to only include the current versions or latest drafts of documents, and advised that statistics would only be available if every individual case file were reviewed. We agreed to the following amended request on November 12, 2025:

All records dating from 2020 relating to the search or seizure of electronic devices, including but not limited to smartphones, computers, tablets, and storage media. This includes, without limitation:

• Policies, procedures, guidelines, or criteria governing the targeting, authorization, or conduct of searches or seizures of electronic devices.

• Policies and procedures regarding the requesting of passwords, passphrases, biometrics, or other access credentials from device owners or users, including procedures for addressing refusals.

• Policies governing the retention, return, or disposal of seized electronic devices.

• Policies governing the retention, use, deletion, or sharing (with other agencies or governments) of data copied or extracted from electronic devices.

• Policies and procedures relating to the accessing of data stored on cloud services through applications or logged-in accounts on electronic devices during or after a search or seizure.

• Records describing or relating to software or hardware tools used to conduct searches or seizures of electronic devices, including tools used to bypass encryption, biometrics, passwords, passphrases, or other security measures.

• For each such tool, any manuals, technical documentation, training material, promotional material, contracts, purchase orders, or other records.

• Privacy Impact Assessments or similar assessments, reviews, or reports relating to: the search or seizure of electronic devices; the requesting of passwords, passphrases, biometrics, or other access credentials; the accessing of cloud data via electronic devices; the retention, use, or sharing of device data.

• Statistical records, reports, or summaries showing: the number of times access credentials (passwords, passphrases, biometrics) were requested from device owners or users; the number of times such requests were refused; the number of times hardware or software tools were used to facilitate searches or seizures of electronic devices or the data on them. If statistics are not available, please provide any information/documentation available regarding the frequency of the above, or trends in the frequency of the above.

*Please note that only the final/latest drafts are required.