Canada: Office of the Privacy Commissioner announced seven research projects assessing personal information collected by smart devices

On 28 August 2025, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) announced seven research projects assessing personal information collected by smart devices. Following the completion of the projects, the OPC will issue a report on the findings of the projects. One project, to be completed by the University of Windsor, aims to develop a system of encryption for data collected by autonomous vehicles, which is machine-readable but meaningless to potential hackers. The second project, by Toronto Metropolitan University, aims to map the array of applications for health-related machine listening with a privacy focus. The third project, by the Automobile Protection Association, aims to produce a compilation and analysis of the privacy permissions and releases automakers must require of their Canadian customers in exchange for access to features in their vehicles. The fourth project, by Vancouver Island University, aims to develop a privacy-by-design toolkit on smart devices tailored to Canadians ages 16-24. The fifth project, by the University of Sherbrooke, aims to assess the technical mechanisms in place to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information. The sixth project, by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, aims to engage the public in discussions of privacy, autonomy, and rights relating to AI in smart devices. The seventh project, by the University of Ottawa, aims to produce recommendations to the legislator with a view to reforming PIPEDA as it applies to female technology mobile applications. It will also launch education and awareness‑raising initiatives targeting young women concerning the protection of their data in the digital environment. All projects funded under the Contributions Program are to be completed by 31 March 2026.