VANCOUVER – Telus Communications announced Wednesday it has made a historic achievement by becoming the first company in the world to be awarded ISO 31700-1 Privacy by Design certification.
The certification, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in partnership with former Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Dr. Ann Cavoukian, was awarded to Telus’s Data for Good program, which is powered by the Telus Insights platform and focuses on leveraging de-identified mobility data for social good.
“The Data for Good program, launched in 2017 and winner of the 2020 HPE-IAPP Privacy Innovation Award, offers researchers access to high-quality, strongly de-identified and aggregated data and insights to support a range of social impact initiatives like the design of public parks, efficient transportation systems in response to natural disasters, and efforts to reduce climate change,” a press release reads.
International auditing and advisory firm KPMG evaluated Telus Data for Good and gave it a clean report “confirming the program aligns with international privacy criteria, and the requirements laid out under the ‘7 Foundational Principles of Privacy by Design’ — originally developed by Cavoukian — which underpin the ISO 31700 Privacy by Design Standard,” the release explains.
“TELUS’ unwavering dedication to prioritizing Privacy by Design principles is now being rightly validated internationally, and that is a good thing for their customers,” Cavoukian said in the release. “By receiving the ISO 31700-1 Privacy by Design certification, TELUS continues to demonstrate that privacy is not an afterthought but an integral part of their DNA, setting a global benchmark for responsible data stewardship and innovation.”
“At TELUS, we firmly believe that a responsible, human-centric approach to data stewardship is not only an obligation but an essential tool to build trust and create a better future for all,” said Pamela Snively, chief data and trust officer at Telus. “Data for Good’s ISO 31700-1 Privacy by Design certification is a testament to our belief that innovation and social purpose go hand-in-hand, and that with transparency and accountability, we can continue to build a more inclusive and privacy-conscious digital world.”
