Canada Advances Plan to Roll Out Centralized Digital ID

by Frank Bergman

The Canadian federal government is moving forward with plans to establish a nationwide digital ID system for the general public.

The ruling Liberal Party is aiming to usher in the new identity system for all citizens and residents.

However, the move is raising serious concerns about privacy, government overreach, and the erosion of individual freedoms.

In a May 20 statement, Canada’s Department of Social Development announced it had hired outside consultants to help determine whether a digital ID system is necessary.

According to the department, building such a system requires specialized expertise that they do not have in-house.

However, the cost of these consultants has not been disclosed.

In addition, there has been no parliamentary oversight to investigate the contracting process.

This new initiative is part of the government’s push to “streamline” services and replace the approximately 60 different systems currently used to access government services with a single “sign-in portal.”

Globalists advocating for the scheme are arguing that a new digital ID system for be more “convenient” for the public.

The government claims that the digital IDs would offer a “quicker, safer, more secure and more cost-effective way to access government services.”

Digital versions of physical documents, like work permits and boating licenses, would be stored in a “digital wallet.”

Proponents of the scheme also hope to incorporate a payment system so the “wallet” can be used for “digital cash” transactions.

While the government insists that this digital ID system will be “voluntary,” the move toward a centralized system is worrying many.

Although it wouldn’t technically be mandatory to begin with, the system would be required for access to basic services, such as healthcare, banking, and Internet use.

Critics fear it’s a stepping stone to mandatory digital IDs.

Government officials like Prime Minister Mark Carney, a strong advocate for central bank digital currencies, are among those pushing this agenda.

The concern that these systems could be used to exert more control over citizens grows.

The move follows troubling patterns seen under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration.