Drones, autonomous vehicles and online user
agreements top citizens' list for regulatory review
TORONTO, May 24, 2017 /CNW/ - Canadians prioritize
regulatory reviews of drones, autonomous vehicles and online user
agreements above those of other emerging technologies, according to
new research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) that weighs Canadian
attitudes on government regulation of emergent technology-enabled
products and services.
Four in 10 (40 percent) of the more than 1,000 Canadians
surveyed as part of the research said that drones equipped with
video cameras should be a key area for government regulatory
review. Nearly as many Canadians said that key areas for government
regulatory review should include autonomous (driverless) vehicles
and for online user agreements for new products or services (each
cited by 38 percent of respondents).
Other areas in which Canadians want to prioritize a regulatory
review include connected homes and products, such as technology
that controls a home's lights, alarms, temperatures, or baby
monitors from a mobile phone or other device (cited by 30 percent
of respondents); social media, including privacy rights and/or
guidelines around advertising (26 percent); ride-sharing services
like Uber and Lyft (26 percent); and sharing economy accommodations
like Airbnb and HomeAway (23 percent).
Different levels of government in Canada have already established regulations
around some emerging technologies. For example, the federal
government recently announced new restrictions on where and when
people can fly remote-controlled drones weighing more than 250
grams, which must be marked with the owner's contact information.
Autonomous vehicles are regulated at a provincial level, with
Ontario the first province to set
a pilot regulatory framework to permit testing. The regulation of
home-sharing apps is dealt with at a municipal level. Toronto, for instance, is still drafting
proposed regulations, while Vancouver has proposed new regulations for
short-term rental.
The survey also asked whether Canadians believe the government
should step in and provide more regulation, step off and provide
less regulation, or step away because the industry or product is
evolving well without any more regulation. The top five
technologies that Canadians cited most as requiring more regulatory
review were drones and autonomous vehicles (each cited by
64 percent of respondents), followed by ride-sharing services
(51 percent), quasi-currencies like Bitcoin (49 percent), and
online user agreements (46 percent).
"Canadians expect governments to step in and mitigate some of
the risks associated with new products and services," said
Dave Telka, a managing director at
Accenture who leads the company's Public Service practice in
Canada. "With new, disruptive
players quickly entering the market, governments must work with
business to provide assurance that there is a regulatory process
that creates the best situation for Canadians."
The survey results also found a generational divide regarding
what technologies should be considered for more regulation.
Millennials, those aged 18-34, are more likely than other age
groups to prioritize the review of video or music streaming
services and ride sharing services, with 26 percent ranking it
among their top three technologies that should be a priority for
review, compared with only 19 percent of Generation Xers (age
35-54) and 17 percent of baby boomers (age 55 and over). Baby
boomers are more likely than other age groups to prioritize the
regulatory review of online user agreements (44 percent of boomers,
compared with 37 percent of Gen Xers and 30 percent of
millennials).
In many instances, baby boomers are more likely than younger
Canadians to want the government to step in and provide more
regulation around autonomous vehicles (75 percent of boomers, vs.
65 percent of Gen Xers and 49 percent of millennials), drones (77
percent of boomers, vs. 63 percent of Gen Xers and 47 percent of
millennials) and ride sharing services (59 percent of boomers, vs.
49 percent of Gen Xers and 42 percent of millennials).
The survey also found that many Canadians believe the government
should step away from regulating certain technologies because they
are evolving well without the need for additional regulation. For
instance, half (51 percent) of Canadians want government to
step away from further regulating video/music streaming, and almost
as many want government to stop regulating connected homes/products
(48 percent), social media (46 percent) and artificial intelligence
(43 percent).
Methodology
For this research, the Ipsos I-Say panel
interviewed a sample of 1,003 Canadians for Accenture between March
27 and March 29, 2017. The
precision of online polls is measured using a credibility interval.
In this case, the results are accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage
points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had
all Canadian adults been polled.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global
professional services company, providing a broad range of services
and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and
operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills
across more than 40 industries and all business functions –
underpinned by the world's largest delivery network – Accenture
works at the intersection of business and technology to help
clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for
their stakeholders. With approximately 401,000 people serving
clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to
improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us
at www.accenture.com.
SOURCE Accenture