Canadians are still spending plenty of time online, but they are becoming much more selective about what they trust.
1. Checking Who Has Their Data
Privacy is becoming part of everyday decision-making. CIRA found that 74% of Canadians had taken some action to protect their data because of privacy concerns.
2. Deleting Apps
People are no longer automatically accepting every permission request.
CIRA found that 34% of Canadians had deleted an app because of privacy concerns, while 41% had declined an app permission.
3. Choosing Canadian Retailers
Online shopping is becoming partly about where a company is based.
CIRA found that 65% of Canadians prefer buying online from Canadian retailers when they have a choice, with supporting the Canadian economy and local businesses a major reason.
4. Questioning AI-Generated Content
Canadians are using AI while becoming more skeptical of what it produces.
Forty-six percent used a generative AI tool during the previous year, but 53% also said they had encountered AI-generated fake content.
5. Verifying Answers
AI is increasingly being treated as a starting point rather than an unquestioned authority.
CIRA found that 49% of Canadians always or often verify AI-generated responses using another source, although only 19% said they always do so.
6. Paying Attention to Where Data Is Stored
Digital sovereignty is becoming a consumer issue.
CIRA found that 67% of Canadians consider it important for their personal data to be stored on servers located in Canada.