Data Surveillance in the Legal Information Ecosystem

When: Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Where: Virtual - Zoom

What do the information platforms lawyers rely on have to do with the growing business of surveillance, and what might that mean for confidentiality, professional ethics, and risk management?

From mobile phone location tracking and Google Maps to automated licence plate readers, everyday technologies generate data that can be collected, combined, and commercialized. Behind this activity lies the often-opaque data brokerage industry. For lawyers, its connections to familiar legal research services raise important questions. The parent companies of Westlaw and LexisNexis also operate data brokerage businesses with extensive information holdings and controversial contracts with government and law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

This session examines the implications of data brokerage for Canadian legal practice. It explores potential risks to client confidentiality, the ethical questions surrounding subscription spending, and the challenges posed by gaps in Canadian privacy protections and cross-border data flows. It also considers broader concerns about the power of data brokers to shape access to information and expand state surveillance, concerns that have drawn criticism from employees, academics, and immigration rights advocates.

PRESENTER

• Lisa Levesque, Law Librarian, Lincoln Alexander School of Law

CPD

This program contains 20 minutes of Professionalism content.

REGISTRATION

• Members - Free
• Non-Members - $50.00 (includes HST)

Registration required to receive Zoom link.