The Carney government is moving forward with plans to create a national digital identification system for Canadians accessing federal benefits such as Employment Insurance and Old Age Security, despite public concern about privacy and government overreach.Blacklock's Reporter says according to a budget note, cabinet will amend the Department of Employment and Social Development Act to allow “more integrated and efficient services across government.” The Department of Employment said the system will be optional and that traditional in-person, mail, and phone services will remain available.“These amendments would benefit all Canadians by enabling the development of more efficient and convenient government services,” said the note, claiming that modernizing data-sharing laws would especially help seniors and others struggling with “outdated, paper-based processes.”The department said the goal is to reduce the need for citizens to repeatedly provide personal information across multiple departments. .It did not release the legal text of the proposal or explain how information-sharing safeguards would work.Federal consultants were hired last spring to design the system, described in internal memos as too complex for the department to handle alone. “Building this kind of system is complex and requires certain specialized tools and expertise we don’t have in-house,” said a May 20 memo titled Digital Credentials Issue.Officials said the digital ID will allow government departments to issue online versions of physical documents already in circulation and unify more than 60 separate sign-in systems currently used for federal programs..“The Government of Canada is changing that through the development of a single sign-in portal,” said another memo titled A Single Sign-In Portal For Government Services.While the department insists the digital ID will be voluntary, a 2023 Privy Council report found many Canadians remain skeptical. “Widespread adoption of digital credentials by Canadians may be difficult to achieve, especially among cohorts of society who may already be somewhat distrustful of public institutions,” said the study Continuous Qualitative Data Collection of Canadians’ Views.
