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Intended to prevent the destruction of evidence in lawsuits, Anton Piller orders have been called a “nuclear weapon” of civil law.

But as their use increases in Canada, concerns are being raised that these court orders — which are issued in secret — are being used as private search warrants.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Secret court order that let telcos search a Montrealer's home a growing trend Back to video

Montrealer Adam Lackman didn’t know he was being sued by some of Canada’s largest telecom companies until a group of men showed up at his front door on June 12 at 8 a.m. with an Anton Piller order.

He was questioned until midnight, his home was searched, all the data on his electronic devices were copied and he said he was told that if he didn’t disclose the passwords to his social media accounts and website, he would be charged with contempt of court.

His website — which is at the crux of the legal dispute — was then taken offline.

Lackman runs a site called TV Addons, it provides access to apps for an open source media player that can be used to watch a wide variety of online videos.