Data for Good

Commitments

TELUS is committed to improving the lives of Canadians and the communities where they live. We recognize that data can be used for socially beneficial purposes - Data for Good - and that TELUS holds a great deal of critically useful data in this regard.

TELUS Data for Good commitments

We are making data insights available for the benefit of Canadians without compromising our long standing commitment to respect the privacy of our customers.

TELUS is committed to leveraging the value in data for socially beneficial purposes in ways that preserve privacy, and we will adhere to the following Data for Good Commitments when we use or share data for these purposes.

Commitment 1

The TELUS Trust Model - which governs the manner in which we access, use, share and otherwise treat all data - will also govern any Data for Good initiative.

Our Trust Model binds us to core principles of Accountability, Ethical Use and Transparency, and we will rigorously review and monitor proposed uses of data for socially beneficial purposes to ensure full compliance with these principles.

For example, to deliver Data for Good we use our TELUS Insights platform. This platform focuses on delivering the most valuable benefits of data, using privacy protective methodologies, and has achieved Privacy by Design Certification.

Commitment 2

TELUS commits to being transparent about our Data for Good data practices, and we strive to ensure our customers understand how we protect their privacy while using data for socially beneficial purposes.

For example, we have worked with leading experts to de-identify and aggregate data to help us develop models that allow us to derive insights from our network mobility data without compromising personal privacy. At Data Analytics at TELUS, we explain how we use de-identification and aggregation to derive insights from our data in a privacy protective manner.

For example, TELUS engages in annual Transparency Reporting as part of our Sustainability Report where we disclose the number and type of requests and orders for personal information that we receive from government organizations and law enforcement.

Commitment 3

Where TELUS grants permission for a third party to access data for socially beneficial purposes, such access will be guided and strictly supervised or otherwise controlled on a secure platform.  

TELUS will generally provide access to strongly de-identified data free of charge for Data for Good to researchers and data scientists acting for governments, health authorities or academic institutions. 

For example, we would provide access to researchers to develop insights can assist for social impact research initiatives designed to flatten the curve of COVID-19, stem its spread, lessen its health and economic impacts, coordinate health care, or contribute to studies that could prevent or mitigate future phases of COVID-19 or other pandemics.

Third parties granted such access will be subject to tight contractual restrictions, including strict limitations on the purpose of access, time period of their use, sharing, and retention of such data, and a prohibition on attempts to re-identify the data.

Access to TELUS’ Data for Good program will be subject to resource availability, and fees may be charged on a case-by-case basis depending on a number of factors, including whether the third party seeking access is commercial in nature and how broadly Canadians may benefit from the proposed initiative.

Commitment 4

TELUS will share curated de-identified data and insights with government, health authorities and academic institutions where such insights and data can assist in social impact research initiatives  

For example, TELUS may share data indicating the aggregate numbers of people in different types of businesses to allow think tanks or banks to better predict the economic impact of COVID-19.

TELUS may provide strongly de-identified data and insights to (or permit access by) other third parties, such as commercial entities or innovators who are developing solutions, products or services designed for social good.

TELUS will determine whether to charge for such data sharing on a case-by-case basis depending on a number of factors, including whether the third party is commercial in nature and how broadly Canadians may benefit from the initiative.

Commitment 5

TELUS will not share real-time insights from strongly de-identified and aggregated network mobility data where it is reasonably possible that such insights could be used to identify the underlying individuals without being legally compelled to do so by a valid order.

For example, while we may share an insight that certain locations showed congregations of individuals during the previous week or the day before, we would not share these types of insights in real-time (or near real-time) without a valid court order, as such individuals could then become identifiable.

It's always your choice

It's important that you know the data accessed by researchers as part of Data for Good isn't actually about you. Rigorous de-identification and aggregation processes remove any personal identifiers, meaning that the data used is not personal data that can reasonably identify who you are, where you go or what you do.

Even though this is the case, you can always choose to opt-out of Data for Good.

It's up to you

One of the choices we provide at TELUS is the opportunity for our mobility subscribers to opt-out of including their location information in de-identified form where the information or insights are intended to be disclosed to third parties to assist in research, planning, or product and service development, except where such information sharing is required by law.

If you wish to opt-out, please visit the site below and enter your mobile phone number. Once entered, you will receive a text message to confirm your opt-out. Your opt-out will be processed when we receive your confirmation text.