Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis is urging cabinet to ensure any digital identification program remains strictly voluntary, warning that mandatory systems could turn taxpayer-funded services into tools of surveillance.Blacklock's Reporter says the Department of Employment is moving forward with legislative changes that would allow Canadians to use digital ID when applying for Employment Insurance and Old Age Security benefits. Cabinet signaled in a November 4 budget note that it intends to amend the Department of Employment and Social Development Act to “support information sharing and digital services” for benefits claimants, though no legal text has been released.“Every promise of transparency can become a tool of surveillance if not guided by the principles of freedom that we cherish,” Lewis told the Commons. She cautioned that if all personal information becomes data, every aspect of life could be recorded and monetized. .“Taxpayers deserve to know where data are stored, who profits from its use and whether freely opting out of systems including digital ID will remain a right,” she said.Lewis emphasized that Canadians cannot be treated as “mere consumers at the end of a bar code,” insisting that people are more than data points. “Human beings are not data points to be managed. We are souls with a purpose. The future we build must reflect that truth,” she said.The employment department has said digital ID is intended to be voluntary. .A May 20 briefing note, A Single Sign-In Portal For Government Services, stated that online services will not replace existing in-person, mail, or telephone channels and will include “strong features for privacy and security.”A separate May 20 memo, Digital Credentials Issue, acknowledged that building a digital ID system is complex and requires expertise not available in-house. The department said it is engaging external contractors to create a solution that issues digital versions of physical credentials already provided by government departments.Lewis warned that without strict safeguards, the system could centralize control over Canadians’ data under the guise of convenience. “We must be on guard,” she said.
