Shaw becomes first Canadian ISP to Commit to Data Retention and Transparency Requirements That Protect Customer Privacy
Today, Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, and Shaw Communications Inc. have announced that Shaw is the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Canada to provide Firefox users with encrypted Domain Name System (DNS) services through Mozilla’s Trusted Recursive Resolver (TRR) Program.
For more than 35 years, DNS has served as a key mechanism for accessing sites and services on the internet. Functioning as the internet’s address book, DNS matches website names, like Firefox.com and Shaw.ca, to their corresponding internet protocol (IP) addresses so that browsers can load the correct website.
As the name suggests, encrypted DNS simply adds a layer of end-to-end encryption to DNS operations. Over the last few years, Mozilla, Shaw, and other industry stakeholders have been working together to provide people with encrypted DNS through a technology called “DNS over HTTPS” (DoH). By Shaw participating in the TRR program, Shaw’s internet customers who use Mozilla’s Firefox browser are now able to receive the full benefits of DoH, including encrypted DNS when browsing the internet.
Bringing ISPs into the TRR program helps us protect user privacy online without disrupting existing user experiences. We are glad to continue on our path of cooperation between browsers and ISPs with this new partnership with Shaw.
Eric Rescorla, Firefox CTO
Shaw’s entrance into the TRR program demonstrates that Shaw has met Mozilla’s extremely high standards and requirements for maintaining users’ privacy and security. By combining the DoH technology with strict operational requirements for those implementing it, participants take an important step toward improving user privacy.
We’re proud to be the first ISP in Canada to partner with Mozilla to offer encrypted DNS – giving customers an additional tool to improve the safety and security of their browsing information. Shaw’s agreement with Mozilla to provide encrypted DNS for Firefox users will further enhance these customers’ privacy when browsing the internet on our network.
Damian Poltz, Senior Vice President, Wireline Technology & Strategy, Shaw Communications
Mozilla began the rollout of encrypted DNS over HTTPS by default for Canadian Firefox users in July 2021 and for US-based Firefox users in February 2020, but began testing the protocol in 2018. Adding ISPs in the TRR Program paves the way for providing people with the security of trusted DNS resolution, while also offering the benefits of a resolver provided by their ISP such as parental control services and better optimized, localized results.
