Andy Kaplan-Myrth
LightNews LightNews
banner
andykm.bsky.social
Andy Kaplan-Myrth
@andykm.bsky.social
500 followers 260 following 130 posts
@andykm@mstdn.ca and @kaplanmyrth most other places. I’m an internet and technology lawyer in Ottawa, interested in law, society, technology, boardgames, coffee, and kindness.
Posts Replies Media Videos
andykm.bsky.social
TekSavvy is the only ISP in Canada (AFAIK) that publishes detailed information about how we handle requests from law enforcement. You can learn more from our Law Enforcement Guide, which includes what info we have about subscribers, and when we do or do not disclose it. www.teksavvy.com/pol...
9/9
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Law Enforcement Guide TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is a provider of Internet access, voice telephony, and related telecommunication services. Hastings Cable Vision Ltd. is a broadcast distribution undertaking, Internet and voice service provider, and an affiliate of TekSavvy Solutions Inc. This document refers to both companies together as the TekSavvy Companies, or simply as “TekSavvy”. We retain subscriber information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. As innovators in the protection of online consumer rights, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our customers. The purpose of this Guide is to assist law enforcement agencies in understanding TekSavvy’s retention and disclosure practices. That being said, these practices are subject to change without notice. Table of Contents ...
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
andykm.bsky.social
We disclosed information to 1 "Administrative" agency. That's an agency that is not technically "law enforcement", but they had the legal authority to *compel* disclosure, i.e. we had to disclose the information. Administrative agencies are typically a tax agency or the CRTC's enforcement folks.
6/9
Screenshot of text: 4) Administrative Requests Of the 36 requests received during this reporting period, 1 request for information was an “administrative request”. TekSavvy did not have any relevant information in response to this request. This category describes any requests for information about TekSavvy’s customers made by government agencies exercising their administrative powers. Administrative powers are, broadly speaking, powers that are created by law and exercised by government agencies or government officials, ranging from tax audits to the issuance of licences and permits.
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
andykm.bsky.social
There were 11 emergency requests this quarter, and we identified subscribers in 10 cases. We rejected 1 that came from a foreign law enforcement agency.

11 exigent requests is a new record for a quarter. (Average is 6). We got 7 in Q4 of 2024. The previous max was 10 in Q1 of 2024.
5/9
Screenshot of text: 2) Emergency (Exigent) Requests Of the 36 requests received during this reporting period, 11 were requests for information in relation to exigent or emergency circumstances. TekSavvy provided the requested information in response to 10 of those requests. This category includes all requests made in relation to “an emergency that threatens the life, health or security of an individual” as set out in subsection 7(3)(e) of PIPEDA which allows organizations such as TekSavvy to disclose a subscriber’s personal information without their knowledge or consent. TekSavvy rejected one of these exigent requests since this request came from a foreign law enforcement agency. As explained in these reports under point number 8, TekSavvy informed this foreign law enforcement agency that they would need to work with a Canadian law enforcement agency to request or order TekSavvy to disclose the requested subscriber information.
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Requests from federal agencies remains very low compared to pre-2024, at just 1. From 2020-23, the avg number of fed requests per Q was 25; since 2024, it has been under 5. Fed requests dropped in 2024, while Prov requests rose. We don't know why it's happening; changes in police practices? 🤷
3/9
A line graph titled 'Requests for information from Federal agencies fell off a cliff in 2024' displays data from Q1 2017 to Q1 2025. It features two lines: yellow for provincial requests and blue for federal requests. The y-axis ranges from 0 to 50. Provincial requests fluctuate between roughly 10 and 44, with noticeable peaks in Q3 of 2022 and 2024, and show a rising trend in 2024. Federal requests decline sharply starting in Q2 2024, dropping to nearly zero by Q3 2024 and remaining low into 2025.
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Download at www.teksavvy.com/pol... (🎉Now published in French too!)

The number of requests and disclosures in this report is average. In Q1 2025, we got 36 requests and orders, compared to:

45 in Q2 2023
38 in Q3 2023
59 in Q4 2023
39 in Q1 2024
40 in Q2 2024
40 in Q3 2024
39 in Q4 2024

2/9
Screenshot of the summary table in TekSavvy's quarterly transparency report for January to March 2025.
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
andykm.bsky.social
📢 Today, TekSavvy published a **Quarterly Transparency Report** about requests we got from police and how we handled them.

Last week, we published the report on Jan to Mar, 2025 and as usual, I’m summarizing that report here 🧵👇🏼

#Privacy #Transparency #TransparencyReport #Telecom #TekSavvy
1/9
Screenshot of cover page: TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Quarterly Transparency Report Reporting period: January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 Published October 2025 Introduction The purpose of this report from TekSavvy is to provide insight into our disclosure practices by detailing how often we receive and respond to government agencies’ requests for the personal information of our end users. This edition of our Transparency Report contains information about requests that we received between January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025. As of the date when this report was published, at least six months have passed since we received or responded to each of those requests. <snip>
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Now we have to decide if we trade in the car or repair an exhaust leak, cracked windshield, slipping clutch, missing heat shields, bald tires, headlights and more. Just don't want to lose all those stickers!
Photo of the back of a Mini with stickers. The stickers are from national and provincial parks of Canada. A pair of hands, with friendship bracelets on, is placing one sticker.
August 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
andykm.bsky.social
My family went on an epic Canadian roadtrip in a 2011 Mini Countryman, and check out this animation of it. We put a rooftop tent on our manual Mini (named Manuel). We drove from Ottawa to the west coast and back, visiting and camping in some of Canada's beautiful provincial and national parks.
August 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
andykm.bsky.social
TekSavvy is the only ISP in Canada (AFAIK) that publishes detailed information about how we handle requests from law enforcement. You can learn more from our Law Enforcement Guide, which includes what info we have about subscribers, and when we do or do not disclose it. www.teksavvy.com/pol...
9/9
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Law Enforcement Guide TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is a provider of Internet access, voice telephony, and related telecommunication services. Hastings Cable Vision Ltd. is a broadcast distribution undertaking, Internet and voice service provider, and an affiliate of TekSavvy Solutions Inc. This document refers to both companies together as the TekSavvy Companies, or simply as “TekSavvy”. We retain subscriber information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. As innovators in the protection of online consumer rights, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our customers. The purpose of this Guide is to assist law enforcement agencies in understanding TekSavvy’s retention and disclosure practices. That being said, these practices are subject to change without notice. Table of Contents ...
July 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Moving on, this quarter, we made 2 proactive reports to law enforcement. These are rare, like when an agent overhears violence or a threat. It is never related to a customer's online activity; we do not track that. From our stats, we make proactive disclosures about five times per year.
7/9
Disclosures Made at the Initiative of the Organization During this reporting period, TekSavvy performed 2 disclosures to government agencies at our own initiative. This category describes any disclosures TekSavvy made proactively. We only make voluntary disclosures if TekSavvy becomes aware of a real and imminent threat to someone’s wellbeing or when we are required by law to make such a disclosure. These kinds of circumstances do not arise often. When they do, they most frequently result from one of our agents overhearing physical violence during a phone interaction with our customers.
July 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
andykm.bsky.social
We disclosed info to 1 "Administrative" agency. That's an agency that is not technically "law enforcement", but they had the legal authority to *compel* disclosure, i.e. we had to disclose the information. Administrative agencies are typically a tax agency or the CRTC's enforcement folks.
6/9
Administrative Requests Of the 49 requests received during this reporting period, 1 request for information was an “administrative request”. TekSavvy provided the requested information in response to this request. This category describes any requests for information about TekSavvy’s customers made by government agencies exercising their administrative powers. Administrative powers are, broadly speaking, powers that are created by law and exercised by government agencies or government officials, ranging from tax audits to the issuance of licences and permits.
July 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
andykm.bsky.social
There were 7 emergency requests, and we identified subscribers in all 7 cases. One of these was a disclosure to a foreign law enforcement agency. That's the first time we have ever disclosed customer information to a foreign agency; we did it this time because we judged it to be urgent enough.
5/9
Emergency (Exigent) Requests Of the 49 requests received during this reporting period, 7 were requests for information in relation to exigent or emergency circumstances. TekSavvy provided the requested information in response to all 7 of those requests. (not in screenshot: 7 requests is slightly above average in a quarter. On average, we get 6 per quarter. The maximum was 10 in Q1 of 2024) TekSavvy’s response to one of these exigent requests was a disclosure of a customer’s name, address, and email address to a foreign law enforcement agency. TekSavvy took this unusual step in response to an urgent and extreme threat that, in our evaluation, justified the disclosure and qualified as an exigent request in our policy framework. We informed the subscriber of both the request and the disclosure.
July 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
andykm.bsky.social
You can download the report at www.teksavvy.com/pol...

The number of requests and disclosures in this report is average compared to most past reports. In Q4 2024, we got 49 requests and orders, compared to:

45 in Q2 2023
38 in Q3 2023
59 in Q4 2023
39 in Q1 2024
40 in Q2 2024
40 in Q3 2024
2/9
Screenshot of the summary table in TekSavvy's quarterly transparency report for October to December 2024.
July 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM
andykm.bsky.social
📢 Today, TekSavvy published a **Quarterly Transparency Report** about requests we got from police and how we handled them.

Today, we’re reporting on October to December, 2024 and as usual, I’m summarizing that report here 🧵👇🏼

#Privacy #Transparency #TransparencyReport #Telecom
1/9
cover page of report: TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Quarterly Transparency Report Reporting period: October 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 Published July 2025 Introduction The purpose of this report from TekSavvy is to provide insight into our disclosure practices by detailing how often we receive and respond to government agencies’ requests for the personal information of our end users. This edition of our Transparency Report contains information about requests that we received between October 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. As of the date when this report was published, at least six months have passed since we received or responded to each of those requests.
July 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM
andykm.bsky.social
So that August 2024 decision was appealed by various parties, to the CRTC, to court, and direct to Cabinet.

CNOC, Rogers, and TekSavvy all appealed it back to the CRTC, asking them to "review and vary" the decision (hence an "R&V" process).

THAT's the decision that's expected tomorrow morning.
6/8
Screenshot: Today's Releases - June 19, 2025 Please be advised that tomorrow’s release (June 20) will be at 9:00 a.m. EST.
June 19, 2025 at 6:56 PM
andykm.bsky.social
We expect the #CRTC to release a major Internet competition decision on Friday morning: We think this will be their decision in the various appeals ("review & varies" in CRTC lingo) of their August wholesale competition decision.

Okay, there's a lot going on there, so I'll break it down: 🧵👇🏼
1/8
Screenshot: Anticipated releases for the week of 16 to 20 June 2025 Subscribe to CRTC's Upcoming CRTC Decisions and Regulatory Policies via email or RSS Stay informed Join our mailing list Subscribe to our RSS feed to receive Today's Decisions, Notices, and Orders. How to receive or read RSS feeds To subscribe to an RSS feed, copy the feed URL and paste it into any of the free or paid RSS feed readers available online. Some popular RSS feed readers include Feedly, Inoreader, and NewsBlur. The CRTC does not endorse any tool. Learn more about RSS feeds. The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions, notices of consultation, orders and/or regulatory policies in the week of 16 to 20 June 2025. This is subject to change without notice. Broadcasting Order: Online News Act Cost Recovery Order Telecom Decisions: Consolidated applications to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy 2024-180 Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0292
June 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
andykm.bsky.social
I once made an even worse choice of shoes to wear to the Senate.
May 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
andykm.bsky.social
TekSavvy is the only ISP in Canada (AFAIK) that publishes detailed information about how we handle requests from law enforcement. You can learn more from our Law Enforcement Guide, which includes what info we have about subscribers, and when we do or do not disclose it. www.teksavvy.com/pol...
7/7
3) Informal Requests Of the 40 requests received during this reporting period, approximately 5 were informal requests. TekSavvy did not provide any information in response to any of those requests. Informal requests are requests that lack legal authority. This means that the agency making the request is not doing so under any law—they are simply asking for us to voluntarily provide them with the requested information. The most common kind of informal requests received by TekSavvy are “jurisdiction requests”. A jurisdiction request is a document prepared by a law enforcement agent that is intended to gather information about the location of an end user, but not their identity. Jurisdiction requests are not court orders and because we are not required to disclose information in the absence of a court order, our policy is not to disclose information in response to jurisdiction requests. Note that it is difficult for us to know the exact number of informal requests received during the rele
April 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Finally, as always: Sometimes our numbers don’t add up perfectly, or may not be totally complete, mostly because it's hard to perfectly keep track of every informal request, including so-called "jurisdiction requests". There may be small discrepancies in our numbers due to that.
6/7
5) Disclosures Made at the Initiative of the Organization During this reporting period, TekSavvy did not perform any disclosures to government agencies at our own initiative. This category describes any disclosures TekSavvy made proactively. We only make voluntary disclosures if TekSavvy becomes aware of a real and imminent threat to someone’s wellbeing or when we are required by law to make such a disclosure. These kinds of circumstances do not arise often. When they do, they most frequently result from one of our agents overhearing physical violence during a phone interaction with our customers. TekSavvy Policy We record all of our phone conversations with our customers, within the technical constraints of our systems. These recordings are retained for a period of two years to assist in the resolution of service-related or billing disputes.
April 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Moving on, this quarter, we made no proactive reports to law enforcement. These are rare, like when an agent overhears violence or a threat. It is never related to a customer's online activity; we do not track that. From our stats, we make proactive disclosures about five times per year.
5/7
Screenshot of cover page, TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Law Enforcement Guide TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is a provider of Internet access, voice telephony, and related telecommunication services. Hastings Cable Vision Ltd. is a broadcast distribution undertaking, Internet and voice service provider, and an affiliate of TekSavvy Solutions Inc. This document refers to both companies together as the TekSavvy Companies, or simply as “TekSavvy”. We retain subscriber information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. As innovators in the protection of online consumer rights, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our customers. The purpose of this Guide is to assist law enforcement agencies in understanding TekSavvy’s retention and disclosure practices. That being said, these practices are subject to change without notice.
April 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
andykm.bsky.social
You can download the report at www.teksavvy.com/pol...

The number of requests and disclosures in this report is low compared to most past reports. In Q3 2024, we got 40 requests and orders, compared to:

58 in Q1 2023
45 in Q2 2023
38 in Q3 2023
59 in Q4 2023
39 in Q1 2024
40 in Q2 2024
2/7
Screenshot of the summary table in TekSavvy's quarterly transparency report for July to September 2024.
April 1, 2025 at 8:31 PM
andykm.bsky.social
📢 Today, TekSavvy published a **Quarterly Transparency Report** about requests we got from police and how we handled them.

Today, we’re reporting on July to September, 2024 and as usual, I’m summarizing that report here 🧵👇🏼

#Privacy #Transparency #TransparencyReport #Telecom
1/7
Screenshot: TekSavvy WE'RE DIFFERENT. IN A GOOD WAY. TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Quarterly Transparency Report Reporting period: July 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024 Published April 2025
April 1, 2025 at 8:31 PM
andykm.bsky.social
Non-disclosure orders are time-limited. The odd time somebody tries to make one open-ended, we push back. I don't think we've ever had one that tries to prevent disclosure forever. By far the most common period is six months, hence our reporting timelines (reporting in on Q2 2024 in Jan 2025).
January 3, 2025 at 10:05 PM
andykm.bsky.social
In our family at Chanukah, we play Shtetlers of Catan
Photo of a game pf Settlers of Catan with a dreidel in the foreground
December 26, 2024 at 2:52 AM
andykm.bsky.social
It’s kinda worse than that — They obviously could have fixed it but didn’t. It originally just said “Hanukkah bushes”, and with the update it says “Hanukkah trees or bushes”. Instead of fixing it, they broke it more.
Christmas and similar decorative trees Christmas trees and similar decorative trees qualify, including: v Natural trees / Artificial trees v Hanukkah bushes These items do not qualify: * Decorations for a Christmas tree or other decorative tree × Holiday related decorations that are not in the physical form of a tree (for example, Christmas tree themed decorations for a wall) x Poinsettia plants Close Christmas and similar decorative trees * Christmas trees and similar decorative trees qualify, including: V Natural trees V Artificial trees V Hanukkah trees or bushes These items do not qualify: X Decorations for a Christmas tree or other decorative tree X Holiday related decorations that are not in the physical form of a tree (for example, Christmas tree themed decorations for a wall) * Poinsettia plants * Mistletoe X Wreaths Close
December 14, 2024 at 2:05 PM