Planning together to achieve real positive impact

The digital revolution has brought with it a crushing wave of new access and privacy challenges. By trying to address them all with the limited resources available, we may end up just treading water without really getting anywhere.

To achieve real positive change, we need to keep our eyes on the horizon and propel towards new shores ahead. We need laser-like focus to navigate to where Ontarians ultimately want to go — what’s relevant and matters most to them — and our ability to get them there.

That’s why we’ve launched a strategic planning process to explore the most pressing access and privacy issues facing Ontarians today and in the future, and to identify which among these will become our office’s top priorities over the next five years.

To assist us, we’ve created an ad hoc strategic advisory committee made up of stakeholders across all of our relevant sectors, including provincial and municipal governments, health institutions, children’s aid societies, and law enforcement.

We’ll be gathering perspectives from academics at the crossroads of law, ethics and technology, researchers in artificial intelligence and the digital economy, experts in digital education, community organizations in support of open media, entrepreneurs and “solopreneurs,” and advocates for youth, Indigenous communities, and marginalized populations.

We are looking to this exceptional group for advice that will help steer our planning efforts and begin to chart the course ahead.

We also want to hear from you. The IPC will be reaching out to the public and stakeholders for feedback on our potential strategic priorities in the next few months. Our goal is to launch our five-year strategic priorities in early 2021.

As an independent office of the legislature responsible for overseeing Ontario’s access and privacy laws, the IPC is committed to responding to individual complaints and appeals in a practical and efficient manner. At the same time, we also recognize how important it is to take a broader view and be proactive in addressing systemic access and privacy issues of interest to all Ontarians.

The strategic choices we make will be tough, but necessary, if we want to leverage our limited resources and move the needle on access and privacy rights in Ontario.

Follow us @IPCinfoprivacy and watch this space for more details on how you can participate in the consultation.

I look forward to hearing your views on the access and privacy issues that matter to you most and which you think we should prioritize to achieve maximum positive impact.

Patricia