Official Canada Blog
News and notes from Google Canada
Celebrating Safer Internet Day: Five Key Ways to Stay Safe Online
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Safer Internet Day
is being celebrated around the world today! It’s an initiative that originated in the European Union two decades ago and is now observed in as many as 150 countries around the world. In Canada, we are focusing on these five key ways to stay safe online:
1. Set up a recovery phone number or email address, and keep it updated.
For many web services, your
Google Account
included, having a recovery method can help alert you if there’s suspicious activity on your account or if you need to block someone from using your account without permission. And of course, adding recovery information to your account can help you get back in more quickly if you ever lose access or can't sign in.
To set up recovery information, visit your
Google Account’s Security section
and scroll down to “Ways we can verify it's you.”
2. Use unique passwords for your accounts.
Create a unique password for each account to eliminate this risk. Make sure that each password is hard to guess and better yet, at least eight characters long. It can be hard to keep track of many different passwords—60 percent of people report having too many passwords to remember. To help, consider using a password manager (like the one
built into your Chrome browser
) to help you create, safeguard and keep track of all your passwords. Alternatively, you can even write your passwords down on a piece of paper (but keep it in a safe place!), since hijackers are most likely to be online, rather than physically near you.
3. Keep your software up to date.
To help protect your online activity, make sure you’re always running the latest version of software on all your devices.
If you’re using the below operating systems, here’s where you can look to learn how to check & update the software on your devices:
Windows support
Mac
Android
iOS
Some software, like Chrome, will automatically update so you never need to worry about doing it yourself. For other services that send notifications when it’s time to update, don’t click “remind me later”— take the time to install the update right away.
4. Go a step further by setting up two-factor authentication.
Setting up two-factor authentication (2FA)—also known as 2-Step Verification—significantly decreases the chance of someone gaining unauthorized access to your account.
2FA requires you to take a second step each time you sign in to your account on top of your username and password. Examples of second verification steps include: an SMS text message, a six-digit code generated by an app, a prompt that you receive on a trusted device or the use of a physical security key.
Set up two-factor authentication for your Google Account by visiting
g.co/2sv
and clicking “Get Started.”
5. Take the Google Security Checkup.
The
Security Checkup
gives you personalized and actionable security recommendations that help you strengthen the security of your Google Account, and it only takes two minutes to complete.
Taking the Security Checkup doesn’t just help make you safer while using Google. The Checkup also includes personalized tips to keep you safer across the web, like helping you set up a screen lock on your mobile phone and advising you to remove risky third-party sites and apps that have access to your account.
Find more online security tips like these by visiting our
Safety Center
; you can also visit your
Google Account’s Security section
to find all the settings and tools mentioned in this post.
Making an Impact in Canada
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Aamir Baig was an entrepreneur with a big idea — to build a company that reimagines how customers furnish their homes and workplaces. With Fraser Hall and brothers Sam and Andy Prochazka, Baig co-founded the furniture retailer
Article
. They then turned to digital advertising services to find new customers across Canada and the U.S. and drive growth. Thanks to digital technologies, the Vancouver-based company has built a rapidly expanding business in just six years, and is now Canada’s fastest growing company according to
Canadian Business
.
Google has helped Canadian enterprises of all sizes to unlock the prosperity of the internet. According to
new research
from Public First, last year Google’s search and advertising products helped generate an estimated $23 billion CAD in annual economic activity for more than 500,000 businesses in Canada—a total impact equivalent to approximately 1.1 percent of Canada’s entire GDP.
Why digital matters for Canada
The transition to digital reflects incredible momentum for Canadian businesses leveraging data and online technologies. Canada’s digital economy generates some
$100 billion CAD
in annual revenues, more than the forestry, mining and gas industries combined. The internet addresses many of the traditional economic challenges that a country of Canada’s vast size once faced—a population the size of California, spread over a land mass roughly the size of Russia. The open web helps solve for distance and lack of population density, and allows any size company or individual creator in Canada to become a global business and reach customers across the planet. Google’s products alone support $1.7 billion CAD annually in incremental exports for Canadian businesses. And 160,000 Canadian YouTube creators see 90 percent of their views come from outside Canada’s borders.
Sustaining this kind of economic growth hinges on building a smart and adaptable workforce. Canada’s investments in first-rate education and technological research--spearheaded by facilities like MILA in Montreal and Toronto’s Vector Institute-coupled with its consistent welcoming of global talent, reflect a commitment to a labor force designed to seize the opportunities of the digital economy.
Growing Google in Canada
Google began its business in Canada in 2001, when our office in Toronto was opened with one salesperson. Nineteen years later, we employ more than 1,500 people—including engineers, sales leaders and AI researchers—across three offices in Waterloo, Toronto and Montreal. Today we’re pleased to announce that we’re expanding our presence in Canada and building three new offices, one in each of these cities. By 2022, these offices will accommodate up to 5,000 employees.
Investing in Canada’s future workforce
Our investment in Canada extends beyond our facilities—we also aim to support the communities in which we live and work. Just in the last five years Google has invested $17 million CAD in Canadian nonprofits, specifically to help Canadians learn essential digital skills training with programs like the
Google IT Support Professional Certificate program
.
Programs like these have helped people like Jean Claude Kamov transform Canada. Jean Claude was a refugee from the Congo who moved to Canada to escape violence and build a better life for his family. He always dreamed of a career in technology, but the cost of training held him back. Jean Claude heard about our program, which offers people with no previous tech experience the training to become certified in IT support. He applied at the Edmonton Public Library and became the first graduate to be hired into a new high tech career.
Stories like Jean Claude’s are why we’re continuing to invest in skills training programs. Today, Google.org is announcing a $2.5 million grant for
NPower Canada
, a charitable organization that launches underserved young adults into meaningful and sustainable careers. Through this grant, we'll support 1,700 Canadians with technical skills through the IT Support Professional Certificate and the IT Automation with Python Certificate.
Helping Canadians benefit from digital opportunities
Google is pleased to play a part in Canada’s ongoing digital transformation. We’re helping Canadian businesses grow, we’re investing directly in programs to support Canadians learning new skills and we’re expanding our offices to accommodate for long-term growth. When Google looks to Canada, we see the potential of technology to drive business and change lives. We’re committed to helping Canadians deliver on that potential.
Posted by Ruth Porat, Senior Vice President and CFO for Alphabet and Google
The game day moments, trends and ads that Canadians touched down on in 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
From die hard fans to party hosts to “here for the commercials”, all sorts of Canadians turned to YouTube and Google Search this year to help them celebrate the big game. Take a look at the moments, ads, recipes and more that captivated our nation before, during and after the broadcast.
The Big Game Ads
For those Canadians who are just in it for the ads, YouTube is the destination to check out this year’s uplifting and entertaining lineup, and makes it easy to watch and re-watch our favourites.
In the lead up to Sunday, we saw advertisers tease ad trailers to increase anticipation for the show. Released two weeks before the big game,
Mr. Peanut’s cliffhanger death
has already amassed 7M+ views on YouTube. Google also shared “
Loretta
” in advance, which tells the story of a man who uses the Google Assistant to keep the memory of his love alive.
From Boston accents to groundhog, here are the the top-watched Super Bowl ads in Canada on YouTube*:
1.
Genesis Motors - Going Away Party | Genesis GV80 | Genesis Motors Canada
: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend host a party calling out and saying farewell to old luxuries, such as lying about plastic surgery, and saying hello to new luxuries like the Genesis GV80.
2.
Jeep - Jeep® | “Groundhog Day” | Bill Murray | 02.02.2020:
In celebration of Groundhog Day, and playing on the movie featuring Bill Murray, Bill takes a groundhog and escapes in an orange Jeep for endless adventures.
3.
Rocket Mortgage - Jason Momoa Super Bowl Commercial 2020 | Rocket Mortgage
: Watch Jason Momoa get super comfortable at home in this 2020 Super Bowl commercial. Behind the muscles and hair is just a guy trying to relax at home - the one place he can truly be himself.
4.
Doritos - Doritos® | The Cool Ranch feat. Lil Nas X and Sam Elliott
: The ranch just got cooler. Watch Lil Nas X and Sam Elliott reach for the sky and drop it down low in a winner-takes-all western showdown the world has never seen before.
5.
Hyundai - Smaht Pahk | 2020 Hyundai Sonata
: Hyundai pays homage to Boston by featuring Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch, and David “Big Papi” Ortiz react to one of the Sonata’s newest and smartest features: Remote Smart Parking Assist.
6.
Google - Loretta | Google Super Bowl Commercial 2020
: A man reminisces about the love of his life with a help from his Google Assistant to search for photos, places visited, a favourite movie and more. With Google’s help he won’t forget these cherished memories.
7.
Visit Jamaica - Jamaica Heartbeat of the World
: Jamaica Tourist Board shares many wonderful reasons why now is the time to plan a trip to the island.
8.
Amazon - Amazon Super Bowl Commercial 2020 - #BeforeAlexa
: Amazon gives us a blast from the past answering the question “What did we do before Alexa?” With a medieval theme, people cover everything, from the temperature to news to jokes, all features on Alexa. (Features Ellen Degeneres and Portia)
9.
Disney Plus - “Big Game” Spot | Marvel Studios | Disney+
: Disney+ announces that their Universe is expanding. Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki are coming soon to Disney+.
10.
Audi - Audi Presents: Let It Go
: Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams sings Disney’s ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen while she’s driving around in the all-new Audi e-tron Sportback in this spot.
The Halftime Show
Canadians turn to YouTube to watch what they’re passionate about, and during this year’s big game, that appears to be the halftime show! This year’s explosive performance sent viewers to YouTube to see more. Searches for Jennifer Lopez and Shakira
spiked dramatically
during the game, inspiring people at home to “get on the floor!”.
The Snacks
Provinces across the country celebrated the Super Bowl in different ways, and with different snacks! We took a look at the top trending recipes before the big game to see what Canadians would be munching on.
The Top Trending Questions
This year’s game brought Canadians to their Search bar to learn more. Here are the top searched questions that Canadians searched during the Super Bowl:
*We measure gameday views to create a level playing field between ads uploaded before and during the game.
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