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Digital ID

Canadian government launches trial version of digital ID for certain licenses, permits

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) department has officially confirmed it is developing a digital ID for certain licenses and permits.

The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) department has officially confirmed it is developing a digital ID for certain licenses and permits, called “GC Issue and Verify,” which has already been listed on the Google Play store, as a trial-only app for certain users.

The digital ID claims the government can replace and be full “digital versions” of the “physical credentials they already provide today, like work permits and boating licenses.”

“Instead of only having physical credentials in their wallets, people will also be able to securely store their digital credentials on their mobile devices,” says the government.

According to ESDC officials, the digital IDs can be shared online or in-person “when needed, making it easy for departments, organizations, and businesses to validate their information.”

The government argued that since many Canadians already use “digital credentials without realizing it,” such as a digital ticket “stored on our mobile device instead of using a printed ticket,” this would be the same for IDs such as licenses.

ESDC said that “digital options” will be voluntary and that people can still use “traditional physical methods of verification,” instead.

READ: Canada releases new digital ID app for personal documents despite privacy concerns

The reality is that digital IDs and similar systems have long been pushed by globalist groups like the World Economic Forum, an organization with which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has extensive ties, under the guise of ease of access and security.

Also, Canadians do not want digital IDs, as noted by Canada’s Privy Council research from 2023, which said there is strong public resistance to the use of digital IDs to access government services.

Both GC Wallet and GC Issue and Verify are now being tested with federal partners, those being Transport Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

During COVID, the Canadian federal government released a digital-type app called ArriveCAN app for travel that was a form of digital ID. The app was riddled with technical glitches along with privacy concerns from users.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, the Canadian government hired outside consultants tasked with looking into whether or not officials should proceed with creating a digital ID system for all citizens and residents.

Opp0sition MP Leslyn Lewis, recently warned Canadians to be “on guard” against a push by the ruling Liberal Party to bring forth digital IDs, saying they should be voluntary.

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Digital ID

Canada releases new digital ID app for personal documents despite privacy concerns

Published on

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The new GC Wallet is supposed to be a ‘foundational component’ of a controversial yet-to-come digital ID system.

Despite clear signs that most Canadians do not want a national digital ID, the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has quietly released a new type of digital ID app on Google’s Play Store called GC Wallet.

The new app appeared on Google sometime late last week and was developed by Canada’s Employment and Social Development department. This is the same department, as reported by LifeSiteNews, that recently said it would move ahead with digital identification for anyone seeking federal benefits, including seniors on Old Age Security.

The new GC Wallet, say officials, is a “secure and convenient way to store and access your official digital credentials,” allowing users to keep important documents on it, such as temporary visas along with pilot licenses, and has an offline QR code function built in.

According to the government, the new GC Wallet is supposed to be a “foundational component” of a yet-to-come digital ID system that most likely will be expanded to a variety of documents.

The app was blasted on X by Kyle Kemper, the half-brother of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In an X post late last week, Kemper claimed the new app can “use your device’s camera to scan QR codes and import credentials issued by authorized institutions. Present your digital documents using dynamic QR codes or secure on-screen displays, making it easy to verify your identity and other information at airport boarding gates and other checkpoints.”

“The government of Canada has silently deployed a digital wallet on the Google Play Store for Digital ID. They have also cancelled an industry RFP process. I am digging into this and will offer detailed comments soon,” he wrote.

The GC Wallet is under development and, according to the feds, is “part of a limited Government of Canada pilot and is intended solely for use by approved participants.

The app is not available for broad public use at this time.

Last week, as reported by LifeSiteNews, without oversight from elected federal MPs, Canada’s Department of Immigration had research done to investigate a national ID system using digital passports for domestic use and how such a system would be enforced.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, the Canadian government hired outside consultants tasked with looking into whether or not officials should proceed with creating a digital ID system for all citizens and residents.

As per a May 20 Digital Credentials Issue memo, as noted by Blacklock’s Reporter, the “adoption” of such a digital ID system may be difficult.”

Digital IDs and similar systems have long been pushed by globalist groups like the World Economic Forum, an organization with which Carney has extensive ties, under the guise of ease of access and security.

One of Canada’s most staunchly pro-life MPs, Leslyn Lewis, recently warned Canadians to be “on guard” against a push by the ruling Liberal Party to bring forth Digital IDs, saying they should be voluntary.

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Digital ID

Canada considers creating national ID system using digital passports for domestic use

Published on

Fr0m LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The Department of Immigration has had research done to investigate digital passports as an identity document, but MPs have soundly rejected the idea as dangerous and costly.

Without oversight from elected federal MPs, Canada’s Department of Immigration had research done to investigate a national ID system using digital passports for domestic use and how such a system would be enforced.

According to Access to Information documents, a senior analyst wrote in a staff email, “One of the things that came up in our discussions with Canadian Digital Services is the assumption the passport would be used within Canada as an identity document.”

“This warrants a policy discussion,” the staff email added.

MPs have soundly rejected any national ID system as both dangerous and costly.

According to internal records, managers at the immigration department put a new question regarding national ID into a 2024 voluntary Passport Client Experience Survey.

The files do not say who requested the new question to be added, and no MPs, Senators, or even Canada’s own Privacy Commissioner were told about this question.

Liberal MP Marc Miller, who is now Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture but was then the Immigration Minister, offered no comment to the media when asked early this year about why the new question was inserted in the passport survey.

The question was asked, “How comfortable would you be sharing a secure digital version of the passport within Canada as an identity document?”

Responses were given as “very comfortable,” “comfortable,” “neutral,” “not comfortable,” or “not comfortable at all.”

One of Canada’s most staunchly pro-life MPs, Leslyn Lewis, recently warned Canadians to be “on guard” against a push by the ruling Liberal Party to bring forth Digital IDs, saying they should be voluntary.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, the Canadian government hired outside consultants tasked with looking into whether or not officials should proceed with creating a digital ID system for all citizens and residents.

Per a May 20 Digital Credentials Issue memo, and as noted by Blacklock’s Reporter, the “adoption” of such a digital ID system may be difficult.

Canada’s Privy Council research from 2023 noted that there is strong public resistance to the use of digital IDs to access government services.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, the Carney federal government plans to move ahead with digital identification for anyone seeking federal benefits, including seniors on Old Age Security.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sounded the alarm by promising to introduce a bill that would “expressly prohibit” digital IDs in Canada.

Digital IDs and similar systems have long been pushed by globalist groups like the World Economic Forum, an organization with which Carney has extensive ties, under the guise of ease of access and security.

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