The province wants the public to answer questions about how it can protect users against online threats to their privacy and civil liberties and improve transparency around how data is used. It will launch two more rounds of consultations before releasing its final data strategy, due by the end of the year: one focused on how companies can build “data-driven business models,” and the other on digital governance. (The Logic)

Talking point: Ontario wants to help government and businesses in the province operate more efficiently. Doing that without eroding the public’s trust is crucial, and the focus of the current public consultation. In a previous consultation that included more than 700 Ontarians, 83 per cent of respondents felt businesses aren’t transparent about what they do with the public’s data. The province said its data strategy will be coordinated with the federal government’s digital charter, which outlined 10 high-level principles for future tech regulations, including fair competition between tech companies and personal control over data. The province assembled a task force, chaired by Manulife COO Linda Mantia, in late June meant to assess the public’s feedback and make recommendations to the government on policies and programs that might be included in the final data strategy.