Support for Sidewalk Toronto Mixed
But awareness is rising
Toronto, July 9th – In a random sampling of public
opinion taken by The Forum Poll™ among 1143 Torontonians, 4-in-10 (TOP2: 38%)
are confident they can describe the details of Sidewalk Toronto, the
neighborhood development project undertaken by a subsidiary of Google, with
one-tenth (13%) saying they could very confidently describe it.
There has been an increase in awareness of the project by almost 10
percentage points from November 23rd, 2017 (TOP2: 29%).
The plurality (BTM2: 62%) could not describe it, with 4-in-10 (43%)
not confident at all in their abilities to describe the project. This lack of awareness
has decreased almost ten percentage points since 2017 (BTM2: 71%).
Those more likely to be able to describe the project include those
aged 18-44 (40% of those 18 to 34 and 42% of those aged 35 to 44), males (42%),
those earning $100k-$250k (46%), those with post-graduate degrees (43%), those
living in the Former City of Toronto (45%), and those supporting the Green
Party (46%).
Those less likely to be able to describe the project include those
aged 65 and over (69%), females (67%), those earning less than $20k (70%) and
$20k-$40k (68%), those with some college or university education (71%), and
those living in North York (68%), York (67%), and Scarborough (65%).
Plurality does not want to live in
Sidewalk Toronto
Only those respondents who said they were very, somewhat, or not
very confident in their abilities to describe the details of Sidewalk Toronto
were then asked the next series of questions.
The majority of respondents (BTM2: 60%) say they would not like to
live in Sidewalk Toronto, with 4-in-10 respondents (40%) saying they are not
likely at all to want to live there. Another 4-in-10 (TOP2: 40%) say they would
like to live in Sidewalk Toronto, with one-sixth (15%) saying they are very
likely to want to live there.
Those more likely to say they want to live in Sidewalk Toronto include
those aged 35 to 54 (46% of those aged 35-44 and 46% of those aged 45 to 54),
males (42%), the lowest earners (53%) and the highest earners (54%), those with
some college or university (56%), those living in York (54%), those supporting
the Liberals
(46%), those who can describe the project very confidently (52%),
and those who are very likely to support the project (86%).
Those more likely to say they do not want to live in Sidewalk
Toronto include those aged 65 and over (69%), females (63%), those earning
$60k-$80k (66%), those who have completed college or university (63%) and those
with post-graduate degrees (66%), those living in the Former City of Toronto
(62%), East York (64%), and North York (62%), those supporting the People’s
Party of Canada (86%), those who are not very confident in their abilities to
describe the project (66%), and those who are not likely at all to support the
project (92%).
Toronto divided on support for Sidewalk
Labs
Almost half (TOP2: 46%) of respondents support the proposal by
Sidewalk Labs, with one-fifth (19%) strongly supporting the project. 4-in-10 (BTM2:
44%) respondents are opposed to the project, with one-fifth (21%) strongly
opposed.
Those more likely to support Sidewalk Labs’ proposal includes those
35 to 54 (48% of those 35 to 44 and 51% of those 45 to 54), males (50%), the
wealthiest (82%), those with some college or university (49%) and those with
post-graduate degrees (48%), those supporting the Liberals (54%), and those who
can very confidently describe the proposal (53%).
Those less likely to support Sidewalk Labs’ proposal includes those
aged 18-44 (47% of those aged 18 to 34 and 44% of those aged 35 to 44) and those
aged 65 and over (46%), females (47%), those earning $40k-$80k (52%), the least
educated(51%), those living in the Former City of Toronto (47%), East York
(48%), and Etobicoke (49%), and those supporting the NDP (63%).
Toronto doesn’t trust Sidewalk to
collect data
Most respondents (BTM2: 60%) do not trust Sidewalk Labs to collect
data on its residents, with 4-in-10 (39%) not having any trust at all.
One-third (TOP2: 30%) do trust Sidewalks Labs to collect data on its residents
with one-tenth (11%) having a lot of trust.
Those most likely not to trust Sidewalk’s data collection includes
those aged 18-34 (67%), earning $20k-$40k (66%) and $40k-$60k (69%), those with
secondary school or less (70%), those living in the Former City of Toronto
(66%) and Etobicoke (64%), those supporting the NDP (78%), and those unable to
confidently describe the project (89%).
Those most likely to trust Sidewalk’s data collection includes those
aged 35 to 44 (37%), males (33%), the wealthiest (59%), those with some college
or university education (39%), those living in East York (36%), York (35%), and
Scarborough
(36%), those supporting the Conservatives (39%), those who can very
confidently describe the project (40%), and those who are very likely to
support the project (73%).
Most think it will use data for
advertising
Respondents were asked whether they thought Sidewalk Labs would keep
its commitment and not use resident data for advertising purposes, most
respondents (TOP2: 58%) do not think it’s likely they will keep their commitment.
4-in-10 respondents (40%) think it is not likely at all that they will keep
their commitment. Almost one-third (TOP2: 28%) of respondents think it’s likely
that the company will keep its commitment, with one-tenth (11%) saying it is
very likely to do so.
Those more likely to say Sidewalk Labs will keep their commitment include
those aged 35 to 64 (32% of those aged 35 to 44, 33% of those 45 to 54, and 33%
of those 55 to 64), males (33%), the least wealthy (45%), those with some
college or university education (37%), those living in East York (34%),
Etobicoke (34%), and Scarborough (35%), those supporting the Conservatives
(32%) and Liberals (33%), those who can very confidently describe the project
(36%), and those very likely (60%) to support the project.
Those more likely to say Sidewalk Labs will not keep their
commitment include those aged 18-34 (68%), those earning $80k-$100k (64%), the least
educated (63%) and those with post-graduate degrees (62%), those living in the
Former City of Toronto (65%), supporting the NDP (72%), Green Party (71%), and
People’s Party of Canada (74%), and those who are not likely at all to support
the project (82%).
Respondents divided on giving Sidewalks
Labs government incentives
Respondents were asked whether they would approve or disapprove of
Sidewalks Labs obtaining some form of government incentive. 4-in-10 of respondents
approve (TOP2: 41%), with one-sixth (14%) strongly approving. Another 4-in-10
disapprove (BTM2: 39%), with one-third (27%) strongly disapproving.
Those respondents more likely to approve the incentives include
those aged 45 to 64 (47% of those 45 to 54 and 45% of those 55 to 64), the most
wealthy (53%), those who completed college or university (44%) and
post-graduate degrees (43%), those living in York (58%), supporting the Liberals
(49%) or Green Party (47%), and those who are very likely to support the
project (77%).
Those respondents more likely to disapprove of the incentives
include those aged 18 to 34 (46%), the least wealthy (46%), those with
post-graduate degrees (43%), those living in Etobicoke (48%), supporting the
People’s Party of Canada (70%), those who can very confidently explain the
project (45%), and those not likely at all (71%) to support the project.
“Awareness of Sidewalk Labs
is rising, but actual support is divided,” said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, President
of Forum Research. “What isn’t divided is trust for the project; most don’t
trust the organization to collect data on residents nor to uphold its
commitment to avoid using that data for advertising purposes. Whatever the various
levels of government decide, Sidewalk Labs is neither a political winner, nor
loser. The results of the project will define its legacy.”
