Cavoukian

Ann Cavoukian is a Canadian privacy expert and former Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. In that role she led privacy protection efforts for the Ontario government and public sector, emphasizing strong safeguards for personal information while promoting responsible use of data and transparent governance.

She is best known for creating Privacy by Design (PbD), a framework that aims to embed privacy into the design and operation of information systems and business processes. PbD rests on seven foundational principles: being proactive rather than reactive; defaulting to privacy; privacy embedded into design; full functionality; end-to-end security; visibility and transparency; and respect for user privacy. The concept has influenced privacy policy and practice globally and figures in discussions around data protection in frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

After leaving the IPC, Cavoukian has worked in academia and as a consultant, promoting PbD through research centers and advisory roles. She helped establish the Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence at Ryerson University to advance privacy engineering and the adoption of PbD across sectors. Her work has earned broad recognition and has shaped contemporary approaches to privacy by design and data protection.