Do You Collect IP Addresses? Here Are Three Things You Must Do

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Bykovets, 2024 SCC 6, confirmed that Canadians' IP addresses are private, mandating law enforcement to obtain a search warrant for access, as well as setting a precedent with profound implications for privacy and data management.

In a recent blog post, MLT Aikins lawyers discussed the Supreme Court's decision in R. v. Bykovets from a criminal law perspective. However, beyond the regulatory and criminal offense implications, this case has important privacy considerations since it confirmed that Canadians have a reasonable expectation of privacy with their IP addresses. This decision not only impacts Canadian law enforcement, who now need prior judicial approval to request IP addresses, but also the organizations that collect and use IP addresses in their services.