That’s the point. It’s important to strike that balance. Tools will increase productivity. They can support all sorts of economic development. They can support developments in health care. They can improve services for citizens. That’s very positive. However, this must be done in a transparent and humane manner. The concept must be human-centred. It must be done in a manner that respects the fundamental principles of privacy, such as informed consent, in certain cases, or appropriate goals.
In September 2025, the office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, together with counterparts from the Competition Bureau, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission or CRTC, and the Copyright Board issued an analysis on synthetic media, commonly known as deepfakes, which addressed these issues. In some cases, technology can help to create images. However, if it’s used to manipulate people or if it’s used to create non-consensual sexual images, then, of course, that infringes upon rights that must be respected. We cannot place innovation on one side and privacy on the other. Canadians must have both.