About Us
We are a group of people working with companies and governments to innovate and invest in new ways of using technology to protect both privacy and security, privacy and business interests, in the age of data collection, artificial intelligence and machine learning
Our Mission
We believe that no one should have to surrender their freedom or sacrifice their privacy in order to keep our society safe and secure
Our goal is to dispel the myth that we must choose between privacy and public safety or business interests. We will demonstrate that by integrating privacy-enhancing tools into technology, right from the design and production stage, where we can develop innovative systems that protect both privacy and security.
We will create a world where privacy and security not only coexist but lead to greater developments in innovation and prosperity
Meet the Board
ANN CAVOUKIAN, Ph.D.
Creator of Global Privacy & Security by Design
Dr. Ann Cavoukian is recognized as one of the world’s leading privacy experts. She is presently the Distinguished Expert-in-Residence, leading the Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence at Ryerson University. Dr. Cavoukian is also a Senior Fellow of the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre at Ryerson University, and a Faculty Fellow of the Center for Law, Science & Innovation at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Dr. Cavoukian served an unprecedented three terms as the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Canada. There she created Privacy by Design, a framework that seeks to proactively embed privacy into the design specifications of information technologies, networked infrastructure and business practices, thereby achieving the strongest protection possible. In 2010, International Privacy Regulators unanimously passed a Resolution recognizing Privacy by Design as an international standard. Since then, PbD has been translated into 40 languages. Dr. Cavoukian has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership in privacy, including being named as one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada, named among the Top 10 Women in Data Security and Privacy, named as one of the ‘Power 50’ by Canadian Business, named as one of the Top 100 Leaders in Identity, and most recently, Dr. Cavoukian was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada for her outstanding work on creating Privacy by Design and taking it global (May, 2017).
Feel free to connect with Dr. Cavoukian via email:ann.cavoukian@gpsbydesign.org
MICHAEL CHERTOFF
CEO of the Chertoff Group, 2nd Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security
Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving under President George W. Bush. He co-authored the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He succeeded Tom Ridge as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on February 15, 2005. Since leaving government service, Chertoff has worked as senior of counsel at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling. He also co-founded the Chertoff Group, a risk-management and security consulting company.
DARREN ENTWISTLE
President & CEO, TELUS
Before joining TELUS, Darren Entwistle was an executive at Cable & Wireless in the UK. Under Entwistle’s incumbency as CEO, TELUS has nearly doubled in size, from $5.7 billion in annual revenue to $10.9 billion. Entwistle is on many boards, including the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, George Weston Limited and the Canadian Board Diversity Council. He also sat on the boards of TD Bank Financial Group, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Leading Edge Endowment Fund. Entwistle served as Chair of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Capital Campaign and was a Director for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games bid committee.
GREG WOLFOND
Chairman and CEO at SecureKey Technologies Inc.
Greg Wolfond is the founder of SecureKey and brings more than 30 years of experience in fintech, security and mobile solutions to his role as Chief Executive Officer. His earlier ventures include Footprint Software Inc., a financial software company he sold to IBM, and 724 Solutions Inc., a wireless infrastructure software provider he took public. He has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, Entrepreneur of the Year, and one of the 100 Top Leaders in Identity. Greg holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Western University and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Life Sciences from the University of Toronto.
GILLES DE KERCHOVE
E.U. Director of Counter-Terrorism
Gilles de Kerchove is a Belgian senior European Union official. He served as Director of Justice and Home Affairs (HJA) in the Council Secretariat of the European Union from 1995 to 2007 and has since been appointed as EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator. In his role as director of JHA, he had a central role in negotiations for Eurojust and the European arrest warrant. He was also Deputy Secretary of the Convention which drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. De Kerchove also lectures in law at several universities in Belgium, including Louvain-la-Neuve, the Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis, and the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
JOSEPH SIMITIAN
Supervisor of Santa Clara County, California and Former Chairman of the California State Senate Select Committee on Privacy
Joe Simitian is a California Democratic politician. From 2004 to 2012, he was the State Senator representing California’s 11th State Senate district. Approaching his term limit at the end of 2012, he ran for and was elected as a Santa Clara County Supervisor. Simitian chaired the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources. He is the author of California’s 20% renewable energy portfolio standard and California’s data breach notification law, which requires companies and agencies to notify individuals when their personal information is compromised. Simitian also authored several high profile transportation safety laws, including California's hands-free cell phone bill.
GEORGE TOMKO, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Technology, GPS by Design
Dr. George Tomko was appointed Expert-in-Residence in IPSI at the University of Toronto and is presently Adjunct Professor at Ryerson University. He is best known for having invented the privacy-enhancing technology called “Biometric Encryption.” He invented “SmartData,” and is presently working on developing Smart Intelligent Agents. Dr. Tomko served for three years as the Chairman of Photonics Research Ontario, a Centre of Excellence, comprising researchers from across Ontario universities and research institutes, with the mandate to develop optical and photon-based technologies. Dr. Tomko holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Physics, and an M.A.Sc. in Electrical Engineering. Dr. Tomko also co-founded two companies, taking one public.
Meet the Team
HESSIE JONES
Strategic Director, GPS by Design
Hessie Jones has an Honours Bachelor Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is an advocate for AI and emerging technology readiness through education and the ethical distribution of AI. As a seasoned digital strategist, author, tech geek and data junkie, she has spent 20+ years on the internet at Yahoo!, Aegis Media, CIBC, and Citi, as well as tech startups including Cerebri, OverlayTV and Jugnoo. Hessie saw things change rapidly when technology and social platforms started to change the game for advertising and she co-authored EVOLVE: Marketing (as we know it) is Doomed! in response to the changing market dynamics and their impact in process, culture and mindset. She launched her own business, ArCompany and through the weekly think tank discussions her team curated, she surfaced the generational divide in this changing technology landscape across a multitude of topics. Hessie is also a tech journalist and regular contributor to Forbes, Towards Data Science and Cognitive World publications.
KAREN BENNET
Technical Director, GPS By Design
Karen Bennet has an MA in Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Karen is a seasoned engineering executive with more than 25 years in the software development business in both open and closed source solutions. She is currently focused on ethical deployment of AI, and is a board member for IEEE: Smart Cities, Privacy/Ethical AI, Blockchain and the Linux Foundation. She previously worked as a senior engineering leader at IBM, Yahoo, and Trapeze and is one of the founding members of RedHat, Karen helped propel this company into a sustainable business. Karen is a start-up adivsor and also actively mentors young women in STEM.
ANINDITA BOSE
Privacy Advisor and Project Manager, GPS by Design
Anindita Bose has an Honours Bachelor of Sciences and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto. She is also working as Senior Project Analyst for the University Network Network's Cyber Security Program. Anindita is well versed in project management, UX, information architecture, information access and privacy legislation and research. With a keen eye for detail and drive to build partnerships, she welcomes any opportunity to make a meaningful impact within the realms of privacy & security, public health and education.
RITESH KOTAK
Subject Matter Expert on Cybersecurity, GPS by Design
Ritesh has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Edinburgh. Ritesh spent seven years in Law Enforcement within Ontario focused on Digital Investigations, Cyber-Security and Emerging Trends. He co-created the first cyber-crimes unit and assisted with several high-profile investigations. He finished his career as Special Advisory to the Chief of Police and subsequently started to consult with Financial Institutions, Fortune 500 companies and police services globally. Ritesh has presented his work globally from the FBI National Executive Institute, the World Internet Summit in China, Intersec in Dubai, NYU Law School and at several other industry events. In 2018, Ritesh was selected for the Emerging Leaders Program at Harvard University. He is also a past Diversity Fellow with CivicAction and was named by ITWord Canada as Top Cyber-Security Expert in Toronto. He also frequently appears in mainstream media as a cyber/tech expert to provide analysis on breaking news stories.
The Impact Of Our Work
As we move forward with our goal of educating, raising awareness and funding research, our body of knowledge and resources grows. Please explore some of these resources now.
December 23, 2018
Cavoukian’s Privacy Outlook for 2019: Positive Trends and Ongoing Challenges
Source: GPS by Design
As we approach 2019, Dr. Ann Cavoukian reflected back on the passing year to discuss some of the biggest privacy stories and concerns. When asked by Adrienne Batra, editor-in-chief of the Toronto Sun about the outlook of privacy for the New Year, Dr. Cavoukian mentioned that protection of privacy will get better. However, we should be cognizant of privacy concerns with respect to political parties, Statistics Canada’s acquisition for personal data, as well as the notion of Smart Cities. With the New Year comes a federal election for which privacy remains a hot topic. “When the privacy commissioner requested that […]
December 8, 2018
New Verdict: Stats Can. is Suspending the Acquisition of Personal Data
Source: GPS by Design
Earlier this week Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Distinguished Expert-in-Residence and founder of the Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence spoke to 580 CRA Radio on the latest verdict of Statistics Canada suspending its acquisition of personal data. After several weeks of debate and discussion, followed by surveys, approximately 74% of Canadians boldly stated that they did not feel comfortable providing access to sensitive personal information. The initial proposal put forward by Statistics Canada was to gather financial data from 500,000 households and to de-identify the data later. This translates to acquiring personal financial information such as credit card statements, purchases, loans […]
Article, News, News and Events
December 4, 2018
New Wave towards Preserving Privacy and Freedom Leading to Decentralization
Source: GPS by Design
This week Dr. Ann Cavoukian shared her thoughts as a guest columnist on the Toronto Sun to reiterate the importance of embedding privacy as well as decentralizing data. Since the resignation from Sidewalk Labs, Dr. Cavoukian has taken the time to review and reflect upon the prevalent issue of increased personal information being housed in central databases with the ability to be controlled by a few dominant players. This, in turn, opens up the possibility of either having the data hacked or used for unintended purposes. To date, well known academic, business and innovative leaders such as Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates […]
International council on global privacy and security, by design
Source: GPS by Design
Since its publication in the Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Dr. Ann Cavoukian’s article, International council on global privacy and security, by design has continued to leave a mark within the research community. Several researchers from a wide range of disciplines have expressed a keen interest in Dr. Cavoukian’s paper. As a result, we are sharing the full PDF version of the article with the online community to disseminate the article. Article Title: International council on global privacy and security, by design Abstract: The conceptualization of a zero-sum paradigm of privacy versus public safety continues to threaten meaningful design practices of […]
November 27, 2017
An attempt at the secure use of GPS information by the PPC, Japan
Source: GPS by Design
The amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) in Japan is going to introduce a legal scheme of “anonymously processed information” this year in order to facilitate high utilization of individuals’ information, while protecting privacy. This system can be made effective by implementing anonymous processing technology and its methods of operation in accordance with Privacy by Design.
July 22, 2016
Marie Wallace: Privacy by design: humanizing analytics
Source: GPS by Design
One big ethical question looms over all the excitement about the potential of big data: how do we maintain privacy while gleaning insight from all of this collected information? Marie Wallace offers some fresh thinking on the topic. One of the ideas she shares is to encourage transparency…to have retailers share some of the assumptions they’re making about us – as they’re advertising to us.
July 22, 2016
Privacy by Design: What does it mean in practice?
Source: GPS by Design
Recorded at the Privacy Laws & Business 24th Annual International Conference: Aligning privacy accountability with your business strategy – 11 – 13 July, Cambridge, UK
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