AccessPrivacy, a thought leadership platform established by the Privacy and Data Management team at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and Environics Analytics, a leading Canadian data and analytics company, conducted a survey in May/June 2025 on the evolving interplay between privacy, trust, and the responsible use of data. Survey respondents included business leaders, lawyers, and privacy professionals.
The objective of the survey was to inform public policy dialogue and guide organizational decision-making, by capturing insights from business and privacy leaders on how organizations can responsibly leverage data to enhance operational effectiveness and drive innovation. The survey results also served to facilitate discussion for interdisciplinary panels of privacy experts at the AccessPrivacy Annual Conference held on June 12, 2025.
The full survey results are accessible via this link.
Key survey findings include:
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96% of respondents agreed that respectful treatment and protection of personal information is critical to the long-term success and sustainability of their organization. No respondents disagreed with this statement.
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96% of respondents agreed that privacy laws are important to ensure trust in the digital ecosystem.
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71% of respondents agreed that their organization’s Chief Privacy Officer plays a critical role in strengthening trust with customers and other key stakeholders.
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Respondents identified the following top three challenges for their organizations, when trying to use personal information more effectively to support legitimate business purposes:
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Challenges with internal data management (e.g. data silos) – selected by 47% of respondents;
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Absence of modernized privacy legislation – selected by 38% of respondents; and
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Legal and/or regulatory uncertainty – selected by 35% of respondents.
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Developing a national strategy and policy framework to facilitate the responsible development and use of AI systems was identified by respondents as the number one recommended priority for the Honourable Evan Solomon, in his role as federal Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.
We invite you to contact AccessPrivacy (info@accessprivacy.com) or Environics Analytics (amanda.maltby@environicsanalytics.com) if you have any questions or comments regarding the survey.
Kind regards,
Jan Kestle
President
Environics Analytics
Adam Kardash
Partner and Co-Chair, Privacy and Data Management
National Lead, AccessPrivacy by Osler
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP