IMSI Catchers in Canada Resources

This page hosts a range of resources about IMSI Catchers (also known as cell site simulators, mobile device identifiers, and Stingrays) for academics, journalists, public interest groups, government researchers, and members of the public. The resources are not comprehensive. Items have been included based on either their general importance (e.g. academic articles or public reports, or reports discussing how IMSI Catchers function) or because they reveal how IMSI Catchers are used in Canada. This page will be updated as new materials become available. There are external links at the bottom of the page to other organizations that host additional IMSI Catcher-related documents that may be less focused on Canada.

Please note that some resources may require access to academic databases, or paid subscriptions to websites.

If you believe that significant and relevant documents are missing from the resources below, please contact me and include the missing item. Please note that I will not publish leaked or non-public documents.

Academic Articles and Public Reports

(September 2016) The Messenger Shoots Back: Network Operator Based IMSI Catcher Detection
(August 2016) Gone Opaque? An Analysis of Hypothetical IMSI Catcher Overuse in Canada
(February 2016) Practical Attacks Against Privacy and Availability in 4G/LTE Mobile Communication Systems
(October 2015) Defeating IMSI Catchers
(April 2015) IMSI Catchers and Mobile Security
(January 2015) Cellular Dragnet: Active Cell Site Simulators and the Fourth Amendment
(December 2014) IMSI-catch me if you can: IMSI-catcher-catchers
(November 2014) Behind the curve: When will the UK stop pretending IMSI catchers don’t exist?
(Fall, 2014) Your Secret Stingray’s No Secret Anymore: The Vanishing Government Monopoly Over Cell Phone Surveillance and Its Impact on National Security and Consumer Privacy
(2014) A Lot More Than a Pen Register and Less Than a Wiretap: What the StingRay Teaches About How Congress Should Approach the Reform of Law Enforcement Surveillance Authorities
(November, 2011) The Anatomy of Lawful Access Phone Records
(March 2010) Catching and Understanding GSM-Signals

Access Requests (Federal) Concerning IMSI Catcher Use

Access Requests (BC) Concerning IMSI Catcher Use

Access Requests (Ontario) Concerning IMSI Catcher Use

(August 3, 2017) Toronto Police Services Board (Re), 2017 CanLII 53383 (ON IPC)
(August 26, 2015) IPC Decision Concerning Request for IMSI Catcher-Related Documents Held by the Toronto Police Services Board

Access Requests (Quebec) Concerning IMSI Catcher Use

(November 25, 2014) Montreal Police Deny Responsive Documents Concerning IMSI Catchers

Publicly Reported Canadian Court Cases

In The Matter Of An Application By [REDACTED] For Warrants Pursuant To Sections 12 And 21 Of The Canadian Security Services Act, RSC 1985, c C-23 and In The Matter Of Islamist Terrorism And [REDACTED]
R v Mirarchi:
- R. v Mirachi: File No 540-01- 063428-141, Order of Mr Justice Michael Stober, November 18, 2015, Reasons accompanying Order, issued December 8, 2015
- R v Mirarchi, Appeal Discontinued, 2016 QCCA 597, March 30, 2016
- R v Mirarchi, QCCA File No 500-10-006048-159, Appellant’s Factum, January 22, 2016, obtained by Mark Phillips under right to information law
  - INDEX
  - Volume I
  - Volume II
  - Volume III
  - Volume IV
  - Volume V
  - Volume VI
  - Volume VII
  - Volume VIII
  - Volume IX
  - Volume X
  - Volume XI
  - Volume XII
R. v. Brewster et al (aka ‘Asian Assassinz’) (Ongoing, Under Seal) (Media coverage)
- R. v. Saccoccia (Appellant’s Factum)
- R. v. Quoc Tang (Appellant’s Factum)
- R. v. Yu (Appellant’s Factum)
- R. v. Ying Mai (Appellant’s Factum)
- R. v. Saccoccia, Ying Mai, Quoc Tang, and Yu (Joint Appeal Book) (NOTE: This is a large 800+MB File)

Media Reports

(May 22, 2019) How police are keeping tabs on cellphones using controversial surveillance technology
(April 8, 2019) What you should know about the ‘Stingray’ surveillance device used by police
(March 26, 2019) Toronto police tight-lipped on details around acquisition of controversial surveillance tool
(March 24, 2019) Thousands of bystanders caught in Toronto police sweep of cellphone data
(June 12, 2018) Mounties, CSIS still haven’t publicly ID’d people behind electronic cell surveillance in Ottawa
(March 6, 2018) Mayor John Tory says he learned police had access to ‘Stingray’ phone surveillance device a year ago after threat
(March 5, 2018) Two years after they said they didn’t, Toronto police admit they use Stingray cellphone snooping device
(October 30, 2017) Calgary police cellphone surveillance device must remain top secret, judge rules
(October 11, 2017) Security concerns rise as police find surveillance device intercepted private text messages
(September 14, 2017) RCMP used cellphone tracking technology unlawfully 6 times, says privacy watchdog
(August 29, 2017) Canadian cops scrambled to get approval for cellphone surveillance hardware they were already using
(June 1, 2017) Major gang trial at risk over use of controversial cellphone surveillance technology
(May 10, 2017) Hamilton police drop fight to keep information secret on cellphone surveillance
(May 3, 2017) Spies’ use of cellphone surveillance technology suspended in January, pending review
(April 18, 2017) Winnipeg police using technology to intercept cellphone communications
(April 18, 2017) Hamilton police said crime would flourish if cellphone surveillance records disclosed
(April 12, 2017) MPs alarmed by Radio-Canada/CBC report on cellphone spying around the Hill
(April 12, 2017) Cellphone surveillance technology being used by local police across Canada
(April 11, 2017) Calgary police inspector breaks silence on use of surveillance devices
(April 10, 2017) Al Jazeera Investigations – Spy Merchants
(April 5, 2017) RCMP reveals its use of cellphone-tracking machines
April 4, 2017) The RCMP have gotten permission to use this cellphone tracking technology
(April 3, 2017) Someone is spying on cellphones in the nation’s capital
(March 20, 2017) Abandon des accusations contre 36 proches de la mafia montréalaise
(December 01, 2016) Can cell providers tell when police spy on their networks?
(August 12, 2016) Edmonton Police Say They Didn’t Mean it When They Said They Own a Stingray
(August 11, 2016) Edmonton Police Admit to Owning Stingray Surveillance Device
(June 10, 2016) The RCMP Surveilled Thousands of Innocent Canadians for a Decade
(May 17, 2016) Case Sheds Light on How Police in Toronto Use ‘Stingray’ Surveillance
(May 16, 2016) New Documents Show How Canadian Cops Use Secret Phone Surveillance Technology
(April 18, 2016) RCMP Listening Device Capable of Knocking Out 911 Calls, Memo Reveals
(April 13, 2016) Stingray surveillance device questions prompt federal privacy complaint
(March 30, 2016) Guilty pleas end risk of revealing RCMP surveillance technology
(March 21, 2016) Agencies did not get federal authorization to use surveillance devices
(March 14, 2016) Surveillance Device Used in Prison Sets Off Police Probe
(March 13, 2016) RCMP fight to keep lid on high-tech investigation tool
(December 15, 2015) The Cellphone Spyware the Police Don’t Want to Acknowledge
(September 24, 2015) A Canadian Prison Was Spying on Non-Inmates and Recording Their Calls and Texts
(April 20, 2015) This machine catches stingrays: Pwnie Express demos cellular threat detector
(September 15, 2014) The covert cellphone tracking tech the RCMP and CSIS won’t talk about

Technology, Thoughts & Trinkets

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