Former privacy commissioner resigns from Sidewalk Labs

TORONTO — Ontario’s former privacy commissioner has resigned from her consulting role at a company preparing to build a high-tech community at Toronto’s waterfront.

Ann Cavoukian cites concerns that a privacy framework she developed is being overlooked.

Cavoukian said she stepped down from Google sister company Sidewalk Labs on Friday following a meeting earlier in the week when the organization said it could not guarantee people’s personal information would be protected.

She says a crucial feature of her privacy framework is that when personal information is collected by surveillance cameras and sensors, any personally identifying data is removed or “anonymized” immediately.

Cavoukian said personal data is not just a person’s name — information can be indirectly identifying, such as the specifics of where a person is travelling can be linked to that individual.

Sidewalk Labs said in a statement it would play “a more limited role” in discussions about data governance.

While Sidewalk Labs agrees to follow Cavoukian’s framework, it cannot guarantee that other companies involved in the project would do so as well.

Last October, Waterfront Toronto announced it had chosen Sidewalk Labs to present a plan to design a high-tech neighbourhood along Toronto’s eastern waterfront.

Since then, the Alphabet Inc.-backed project has faced controversy because critics have complained few details have been shared — including how data will be collected, kept and protected.