Remarks by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at the presentation of the 2026 Privacy and Human Rights Award

July 20, 2026
Ottawa, ON

Address by Philippe Dufresne
Privacy Commissioner of Canada

(Check against delivery)

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Thank you, Dr. (Jason) Berman (CEO and Scientific Director, CHEO Research Institute and Vice President Research, CHEO) for your kind introduction and also for hosting this ceremony to present this year’s Privacy and Human Rights Award.

I have long been an admirer of CHEO’s excellence in providing health care services to the children of Ottawa and beyond. The innovative work at the CHEO Research Institute is world-class – as highlighted by the research that we are here to celebrate.

I would also like to express my appreciation to Alejandro Mayoral Baños. I am grateful for Access Now’s partnership in this important global award.

As well, I wish to acknowledge my provincial counterpart, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Patricia Kosseim, who nominated this year’s winner and is with us today.

I am delighted to be here in my role as the Chair of the Global Privacy Assembly as well as its Data Protection and Other Rights and Freedoms Working Group, which developed and implements the award on behalf of the Assembly.

The Privacy and Human Rights Award celebrates the work that is being done by organizations around the world to advance and support efforts to protect and promote the fundamental right to privacy and other human rights.

This year, the Selection Committee was tasked with evaluating 31 impressive nominations, many of which underscored the importance of protecting individuals’ digital rights.

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Selection Committee and in particular Chairperson Pansy Tlakula of the South African Information Regulator, who sends her greetings and congratulations to the winner and nominees for their outstanding leadership. In shared remarks that I am happy to convey on her behalf, Chairperson Tlakula notes that this award is a significant step in advancing the Global Privacy Assembly’s mission to elevate privacy as a fundamental right.

I fully agree.

This year’s winner is an exceptional example of what happens when an organization innovates for privacy to support trust and enable research for the public good.

The Electronic Health Information Laboratory within the CHEO Research Institute is a pioneer and world leader in privacy-enhancing technologies.

Health care research – like so many fields in today’s data-driven world – relies on personal information to progress.

Data is one of the most important resources of the 21st century – it can support and fuel innovation, and how it is managed and protected can shape the ability to lead and succeed globally.

This is because trust in how data is handled is an important factor in how individuals interact with organizations and technology, particularly emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).

EHIL’s Director and founder, Dr. Khaled El Emam, saw a challenge: How can we enable cutting-edge health care research and avoid creating privacy risks for patients?

He recognized that, just as data is used to fuel innovation, innovation can also be used to protect data.

The privacy-enhancing technologies that Dr. El Emam and his team have developed at the CHEO Research Institute support health data sharing for purposes such as research and public health surveillance and analysis, and responsible AI development – without compromising privacy.

EHIL’s work has set standards and shaped guidance on privacy-enhancing technologies internationally. The tools that EHIL has created are used by hospitals, researchers, and industry partners around the world for safe access to data, responsible AI development, and ethical clinical research.

This has benefitted a wide variety of communities – from patients, including vulnerable communities such as persons with rare diseases, children and the elderly, whose personal information is protected even as it supports improved care and research; to researchers and clinicians who gain practical tools for conducting studies and developing treatments.

EHIL’s research in privacy-enhancing technologies is already having an impact, with some innovations already being deployed in practice.

Ultimately, EHIL’s work supports the fundamental human right to health – recognized by the United Nations and the World Health Organization – and the right to benefit from scientific progress.

Canadians and people around the world deserve both – the protection of their fundamental rights and technological progress.

EHIL is an excellent demonstration of how prioritizing privacy and fostering innovation is not a zero-sum game. Technological advancement and fundamental rights can, do and must coexist.

Privacy-enhancing technologies in health care help to drive trust in the use of AI technologies in this space and ensure that personal information is handled in a way that respects individuals’ fundamental right to privacy and the security of their data.

This applies well beyond the health sector and EHIL’s example should inspire all organizations to seek to innovate for privacy today to build a trusted tomorrow.

As Privacy Commissioner of Canada, I am extremely pleased for the opportunity to present this year’s award to an organization that embodies Canadian leadership globally in privacy innovation.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Dr. Khaled El Emam, who will be accepting the 2026 Privacy and Human Rights Award on behalf of CHEO’s Electronic Health Information Laboratory.