A survey commissioned by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) showed the strong concern of Canadians for privacy and protection of that privacy.

The results of the survey were published in June of this year and includes details findings summarized in 21 Figures and tables representing Canadians’ views on topics such as general knowledge of privacy rights, knowledge of how to protect privacy rights, concern about protection of personal privacy, knowledge of how new technologies affect privacy, views on whether businesses respect privacy rights, views on whether the federal government respects privacy rights, trust in different organizations to protect personal information, concern about social media platforms creating user profiles... ).

The responses from over 1500 residents across Canada point to multiple elements of privacy that are important:

• 87% expressed concern about the protection of their privacy

• 89% are concerned about people using online information for identity theft

• 88% are concerned about social media platforms gathering personal information that they (or 89% for someone else) posted online to create a detailed profile of their interests and personal traits

• 88% are concerned about how companies and organizations might use information available about them online to make decisions about them, for example relating to a job, an insurance claim or health coverage

Due to privacy concerns and to ensure that personal information is protected, 70% refused to provide an organization or business with personal information, 74% adjusted privacy settings on a social media account and 40% deleted a social media account or stopped doing business with a company that experienced a privacy breach.