Former Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian has resigned from her advisory role with Sidewalk Labs, the Toronto Star reports. Cavoukian had worked with the company on its Waterfront Toronto smart-city project. In her resignation letter, Cavoukian said the proposed data privacy protections for the projects are not acceptable. “Just think of the consequences: If personally identifiable data are not de-identified at source, we will be creating another central database of personal information (controlled by whom?), that may be used without data subjects’ consent, that will be exposed to the risks of hacking and unauthorized access,” Cavoukian wrote in her letter. An unnamed tech professional said Cavoukian’s departure is “a major blow to the legitimacy of the project.” In an op-ed for the Toronto Star, Chantal Bernier argues the Waterfront Toronto project is already subject to strong existing privacy laws.
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