I'll continue, honourable members, where I left off.
These are critically important issues when you consider the role the Internet plays in daily life, as I was saying. I recently read that one in four American couples who met since 2007 first met on-line.
Earlier this year, we held public consultations on on-line consumer tracking and cloud computing, in order to learn more about certain industry practices, explore their privacy implications, and find out what privacy protections Canadians expect with respect to these practices.
Looking ahead, we need to continue to develop a deeper understanding of privacy issues in a digital world. We should also continue to build on our expertise by hiring more IT specialists and creating links with outside experts. Continued cooperation with our provincial, as well as our international, colleagues will also be critical to our future success.
I'd like to move now to public safety. Another ongoing strategic priority relates to the potentially grave privacy implications of national security and law enforcement measures.
Privacy is not an absolute right. Indeed, there may be cases when privacy protections must give way to protecting a greater good. However, Canadians should only be asked to make this sacrifice when it is clear that the promised outcome—be it safer air travel or catching money launderers—will actually be achieved and that there is no less privacy-invasive option that would allow us to reach this goal.
We have worked with numerous government departments and agencies to introduce stronger privacy protections into initiatives such as Passenger Protect program—our no-fly program—airport scanners, and the RCMP's exempt databanks. We should continue to be vigilant in this area.
Another piece of the privacy protection challenge is making sure that Canadians develop strong digital literacy skills.
We're using online tools to help Canadians better understand their privacy rights and make well-informed choices in a rapidly changing privacy landscape. We have a blog and a website targeted at youth. We tweet, and we post videos about privacy on YouTube. Much of our public awareness work is being conducted in collaboration with a wide variety of others, such as teachers, consumer and business groups, and government organizations as well.
Perhaps partly because I'm a former provincial commissioner myself, I've always seen the need to build stronger ties with provincial colleagues and other stakeholders across the country. I want to ensure that the Privacy Commissioner's office is not perceived as either too Ottawa-centric or unaware of issues outside the national capital region.
We recently opened an office in Toronto, where many of the organizations we receive complaints about are headquartered. It will also be critical to maintain regional outreach to all parts of the country and to continue to maintain cultural and linguistic diversity in the office to be truly responsive to the Canadians we serve.
At the end of the day, what is most important to me is that our work meets the needs and the expectations of Canadians. As I mentioned at the outset, this requires that we also remain responsive to the needs of businesses, government, and Parliament.
I enjoy a very privileged position as an officer of Parliament and, from my point of view, I have had in these last seven years a very positive and a very constructive relationship with Parliament. As you know, I am accountable to Parliament. For example, I come to Parliament whenever I am invited to comment on legislation being studied at committee.
Once a year, we set out for Parliament's consideration—that's usually this committee's consideration—our plans and priorities. If there is a priority that Parliament would like me to follow, it has an opportunity at that time to bring it forward during this process. I also have tabled annual reports on our work to Parliament and with this committee over the years.
I would certainly welcome further opportunities to speak with members of this committee and Parliament more broadly about what my office does and to discuss any matter that raises privacy concerns.
In closing, I would like to say that I would welcome the opportunity to continue to leverage what has already been accomplished over the past few years, and I thank you very much for listening to this presentation. I'd be pleased to answer any questions that you might have.
