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ARTICLE · 09 JULY 2026

Privacy Supporting Innovation: Getting To Yes

Canadian thought leaders from government, regulators, industry and academia gathered to examine privacy and data policy challenges facing Canada, exploring how organizations can innovate responsibly with data while addressing declining institutional trust. The discussion revealed a fundamental tension between traditional privacy frameworks built on assumptions of choice and trust, and today's reality where consent is increasingly constrained and trust is a depleting asset.

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On June 16, 2026, in collaboration with Sun Life and Environics Analytics, Dentons was pleased to host a roundtable forum, Privacy supporting innovation: Getting to yes. The event brought together Canadian thought leaders from government, regulators, industry and academia to examine the privacy and data policy challenges facing Canada and to identify practical, risk-based approaches that enable organizations to innovate responsibly with data.

We summarize the discussion and highlight some of the factors that emerged as potential “blockers” or “enablers” of “Getting to Yes.”

Setting the stage

“Institutional trust is a depleting asset.”

Ipsos Canada presented research on Canadian consumer attitudes toward data, privacy and institutional trust. Canada is experiencing a prolonged period of defensive consumer behavior, declining optimism and a relentless focus on price — described as a structural condition rather than a cycle. Net optimism regarding personal financial situations

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About Dentons

Dentons is the world's first polycentric global law firm. A top 20 firm on the Acritas 2015 Global Elite Brand Index, the Firm is committed to challenging the status quo in delivering consistent and uncompromising quality and value in new and inventive ways. Driven to provide clients a competitive edge, and connected to the communities where its clients want to do business, Dentons knows that understanding local cultures is crucial to successfully completing a deal, resolving a dispute or solving a business challenge. Now the world's largest law firm, Dentons' global team builds agile, tailored solutions to meet the local, national and global needs of private and public clients of any size in more than 125 locations serving 50-plus countries. www.dentons.com

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. Specific Questions relating to this article should be addressed directly to the author.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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