Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On May 25, 2015, the Privacy and Big Data Institute at Ryerson University in Canada announced that it is offering a Privacy by Design Certification. Privacy by Design is a “framework that seeks to proactively embed privacy into the design specifications of information technologies” to obtain the most secure data protection possible. Organizations that attain the certification will be permitted to post a “Certification Shield” “to demonstrate to consumers that they have withstood the scrutiny of a rigorous third party assessment, assuring the public that their product or service reflects the viewpoint of today’s privacy conscious consumer.”

The certification is founded on the seven privacy by design principles published by the Executive Director of Ryerson University’s Privacy and Big Data Institute more than a decade ago. When announcing the certification, the Privacy and Big Data Institute also released the accompanying Assessment Control Framework and an Application Form for organizations that want to become certified.