Empowering Young Canadians in the Smart Device Era

A Privacy-by-Design Research and Public Engagement Initiative

This project is proudly funded by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's (OPC) Contributions Program .

More Info

About

The overarching goal of this project is to empower youth (ages 16-24) with the knowledge and tools needed to safeguard their personal data in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, particularly in voice-activated AI apps. By emphasizing privacy-by-design principles and public engagement, we seek to foster an environment where responsible, privacy-centric AI practices become the norm. To achieve this goal, we have established the following research questions:

Research Questions

  • 🐾Youth concerns around data collection and usage in voice-activated AI (e.g., Siri, Alexa).
  • 🐾Influence of privacy risk, benefit perception, and transparency on trust and adoption.
  • 🐾Current privacy controls used by youth and their impact on self-efficacy and protective behavior.
  • 🐾Youth-suggested solutions (technical, policy, educational) to address privacy gaps and improve user control.
Project

Project

As part of our research on youth interactions with voice-enabled technologies, we're conducting a national survey, online focus groups, and a stakeholder roundtable. These research activities are designed to gather insights directly from young people and refine our recommendations through expert feedback from educators, developers, and policymakers.

Survey (Closed)

The survey phase has concluded. Thank you everyone who contributed their valuable input! The link remains available to view the questions, but submissions are no longer accepted.

Focus Group (Completed)

We facilitated peer discussions through focus groups with Canadian youths. If you're interested in learning more about the outcomes, follow our updates or connect with us.

Round-Table (in progress)

We're inviting parents, educators, policymakers, and AI developers to help refine youth-centered privacy recommendations. Click the link above to express your interest.

Youth Engagement Activities

Engaging youth to shape the future of voice-enabled AI systems—ethically and inclusively.

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Live Session
Insight
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Digital Event
Awareness
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Let's Connect
Community
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Webinar Recap
Highlight 2024
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Seminar Recap
Highlight 2024
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Privacy Video
Knowledge

Press & Media

Public conversations inspired by our research.

Project Team

One line of code, one conversation, one safeguard at a time.

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Dr. Ajay Shrestha

Principal Investigator
Vancouver Island University

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Molly Campbell

Project Personnel
Vancouver Island University

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Yulia Bobkova

Research Assistant
Vancouver Island University

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Mohamad Jasem

Research Assistant
Vancouver Island University

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Trevor DeClark

Research Assistant
Vancouver Island University

Our team brings together researchers, designers, and youth collaborators committed to advancing ethical, privacy-conscious AI. With diverse expertise across technology, education, and policy, we work together to ensure that young people's voices are not only heard—but actively shape the future of voice-enabled systems.

Publication

Here are some of our latest publications from this project. Click on the links to read more.

Covert Surveillance in Smart Devices: A SCOUR Framework Analysis of Youth Privacy Implications

Authors: Austin Shouli*, Yulia Bobkova*, Ajay Shrestha

Published: IEEE DOI: 10.1109/UEMCON67449.2025.11267573

Read Manuscript

Toward Youth-Centered Privacy-by-Design in Smart Devices: A Systematic Review

Authors: Molly Campbell*, Mohamad AlJasem*, Ajay Shrestha

Published: IEEE ("accepted")

Available Soon

Balancing Usability and Compliance in AI Smart Devices: A Privacy-by-Design Audit of Google Home, Alexa, and Siri

Authors: Trevor DeClark*, Yulia Bobkova*, Ajay Shrestha

Published: IEEE ("accepted")

Available Soon

Convenience vs. Control: A Qualitative Study of Youth Privacy with Smart Voice Assistants

Authors: Molly Campbell*, Mohamad AlJasem*, Sandhya Joshi, Ajay Shrestha

Published: IEEE ("accepted")

Available Soon

Privacy by Voice: Modeling Youth Privacy-Protective Behavior in Smart Voice Assistants

Authors: Molly Campbell*, Ajay Shrestha

Published: IEEE ("accepted")

Available Soon
contact Us

Contact Us

Interested in joining a focus group (for youth 16-24) or a stakeholder roundtable? Fill out the form below and we'll get back to you shortly.