Feds say digital ID ‘will be voluntary’ in Canada
"The government is and has been engaged in research and exploration [of digital ID] for quite some time," Trudeau’s cabinet wrote in response to a parliamentary inquiry.
New cabinet records indicate that while Canada has no digital ID programs underway, future efforts will be voluntary. Federal spending has totalled $6.4 million for surveillance technology, which has some taxpayers concerned.
Several departments and their agencies have considered digital identification to serve their mandates, but each attempt fell through, reported Blacklock’s.
“The government is and has been engaged in research and exploration for quite some time,” cabinet wrote in response to a parliamentary inquiry.
In October, federal regulators announced plans for digital credentials without any parliamentary approval. MPs raised concerns over costs and security.
“There are no plans to consider or introduce a federally issued digital ID,” cabinet wrote, despite the apparent need for “fast and efficient delivery of government services.”
An October 28 notice from Shared Services Canada described efforts to create a digital ID system. No parliamentary committee to date has scrutinized the program, reported Blacklock’s.
The notice compared “digital credentials” to Social Insurance Numbers, a mandatory form of federally-regulated ID. “Digital credentials are the equivalent of traditional physical credentials, enabling users to digitally prove things about themselves online and in person through a ‘holder component,’ e.g. digital wallet,” wrote Shared Services Canada.
On today's livestream, @NatBiase, @TheVoiceAlexa and @Kay_Whoa are positively shocked that the Liberal government is spending your tax dollars on a $105 million digital ID contract - with none other than the WEF
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) October 8, 2022
Never miss when we're live! https://t.co/hXKtaqmePf pic.twitter.com/FKlxdIAbCh
Conservative MP Ben Lobb requested department and agency figures as part of the cabinet inquiry, “With regard to government programs aimed at establishing digital identification, how much money has been spent exploring or studying options in relation to such a program?” he wrote.
The Canada Revenue Agency spent $1.5 million, followed by the Department of Transport ($1.4 million), the Department of Immigration, Fisheries and the Treasury Board ($1 million), Correctional Service of Canada ($150,000), the Public Service Commission ($106,398) and $62,780 by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Among the projects considered by Transport Canada includes a digital ID pilot with the World Economic Forum (WEF) that never took flight.
The Known Traveller Digital Identity project, which Canada exited in June, is a digital credential system for international travel. It cost $399,938 in salaries and $238,627 in other operating expenses.
A new Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) project was in the works with the Dutch government. It only ran from January to March 2024, with taxpayers incurring no costs.
'The Bank of Canada is doing everything necessary to eventually launch a digital currency, even if they still deny wanting to,' PPC Leader Maxime Bernier told Rebel News.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 11, 2023
MORE: https://t.co/fABWvHIUYP pic.twitter.com/2j4SGfmtdB
Meanwhile, Canadians are skeptical of other forms of digital ID, including digital currency, citing the risks of abuse and financial implications.
People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier widely condemned the push for digital cash, as it would create “serious privacy concerns” for Canadians, he said.
“Can we trust the government after [Finance Minister Chrystia] Freeland froze bank accounts during the Freedom Convoy? No,” he said.
According to figures obtained through an access-to-information request by Blacklock’s, an estimated $7.8 million in holdings belonging to convoy supporters had been seized from 267 bank accounts and 170 bitcoin wallets in 2022.
“We primarily relied upon the names provided by the RCMP but there were obligations under the order separate that required banks to make their own determinations,” testified Angelina Mason, general counsel for the Bankers Association, at a March 7, 2022 hearing at the Commons finance committee.
“Were there accounts of individuals frozen that did not appear on a list of names submitted by banks to the RCMP?” asked New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie. “Yes,” replied Mason.
Canadians do not want a central bank digital currency (CBDC), according to consultations with the Bank of Canada.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) December 1, 2023
MORE: https://t.co/ZADSyLFE7F pic.twitter.com/YpRnEU4bFJ
The study, The Consumer Value Proposition For A Hypothetical Digital Canadian Dollar, shows that while interest exists, concerns over privacy and government control are major barriers to adoption.
Despite this hesitation, the Bank of Canada filed Trademarks Act applications last December to claim ownership of a digital Canadian dollar — before it even exists.
The central bank reassured Canadians that “cash isn’t going anywhere” and that any decision to implement a digital dollar “belongs to Canadians through their representatives in Parliament.”
A 2020 Cash Alternative Survey said the typical Canadian carries $70 in their wallet, mainly $5 and $10 bills, and keeps roughly $185 in their vehicle glove box or dresser drawer.
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2024-12-19 23:45:05 -0500We’ve seen this all before in Nazi Germany. Sterilization of mentally retarded people was first voluntary. Then it was mandatory. Euthanasia was voluntary until it was made compulsory for all those whom the state felt were “life unworthy of life.” Trudeau’s government will use digital ID just like China does.
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2024-12-19 22:46:39 -0500It’ll be as voluntary as the “vaccine” jabs were a few years ago.
