Trust & Security
Canadian data residency questions for legal technology vendors
Plain-language questions Canadian firms can use to understand where legal information lives and how access is controlled.
“Hosted in Canada” is a useful starting point, not a complete security review. Firms should understand what information the statement covers, where processing occurs, who can access the data, and how the product handles backups, logs, and AI-assisted work.
Clarify what stays in Canada
Ask whether the answer covers matter documents, database records, backups, search indexes, generated outputs, and operational logs. A vendor should be able to explain any exceptions and why they exist.
Data residency should also be distinguished from corporate ownership and support location. They are related procurement questions, but they are not the same control.
Follow access from person to matter
Security becomes practical when a vendor can show how access changes with identity, organization, role, team, and matter. Ask how client-facing access differs from internal legal-team access and how permissions are removed when responsibilities change.
- How are organizations and matters kept separate?
- What can an administrator do without a workspace seat?
- How are client invitations and access revocation handled?
- Which activities are attributable to a specific person?
Ask how AI changes the data path
An AI feature may introduce processors or workflows that differ from the rest of the application. Ask what context is sent for a request, where processing happens, how long providers retain information, and whether customer content is used to train shared models.
The answer should cover the complete workflow rather than only the database where the original document is stored.
Expect a reviewable trust story
A vendor should be able to provide consistent answers across sales, product, security, and contract materials. Clear documentation is part of the control: it helps firms explain their decisions to leadership and clients without overpromising.
This resource is general information for technology evaluation and operational planning. It is not legal advice or a guarantee of any particular result.