Monthly Archives: April 2022

Agri-Food Product Identity Verification & Governance – DIACC Special Interest Group Insights

This report was created by the Identity Verification and Food Traceability DIACC Special Interest Group and was a collaborative effort between the University of Guelph, DIACC, and other subject matter experts. This report discusses what the identity verification related requirements for the creation and management of agri-food products (or items) unique identifiers to enable provenance tracking, ensure traceability, facilitate agri-food data integration, enhance governance, protect privacy and confidentiality, inform policies, and improve communications. 

Download the report here.

Agri-Food-Product-Identity-Verification-and-Governance-DIACC-Special-Interest-Group-Insights

Request for Comment & IPR Review: PCTF Digital Wallet Draft Recommendation V1.0

This review period is now closed.

Notice of Intent: DIACC is collaborating to develop and publish the Digital Wallet component of the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework (PCTF) to set a baseline of public and private sector interoperability of identity services and solutions. During this public review period, DIACC is looking for community feedback to ensure that the conformance criteria is clear and auditable.

Document Status: These review documents have been developed by members of the DIACC’s Trust Framework Expert Committee (TFEC) who operate under the DIACC controlling policies and consist of representatives from both the private and public sectors. These documents have been approved by the TFEC as Draft Recommendations V1.0.

Summary:

The intent of the PCTF Digital Wallet component is to provide a framework that Digital Identity Ecosystem Participants can use to assess the degree to which the digital wallets that are part of their respective ecosystems accomplish the following: 

  1. Provide Citizens and Consumers with a Digital Identity Wallet that complies with the human rights principles of preserving people’s privacy and control over their information.
  2. Introduces a consistent identity metaphor and consent-driven automated experience across all Ecosystem Participants to reduce impact on users caused by Digital Transformation. 
  3. Contribute to a stable infrastructure with longevity and world-wide interoperability by adopting and supporting relevant standards as appropriate (e.g., W3C Standards for Verifiable Credentials and DIDs). 
  4. Counter cyber vulnerability and extortion by enabling Service Providers to incrementally replace existing login mechanisms, some of which may be exploitable, without suffering negative impact to business.
  5. Establish an environment of trust within which the wallet’s owner can interact with other Ecosystem Participants such as Issuers, Verifiers, and other Relying Parties.

To learn more about the Pan-Canadian vision and benefits-for-all value proposition please review the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework Overview.

Invitation:

  • All interested parties are invited to comment.

Period:

  • Opens: Apr. 10, 2022 at 23:59 PT | Closes: May 20, 2022 at 23:59 PT

When reviewing the components Conformance Criteria, please consider the following and note that responses to this question are non-binding and serve to improve the PCTF.

  1. Would you consider the Conformance Criteria as auditable or not? That is, could you objectively evaluate if an organization was compliant with that criteria and what evidence would be used to justify that?

Review Documents: PCTF Digital Wallet

Intellectual Property Rights:

Comments must be received within the 30-day comment period noted above. All comments are subject to the DIACC contributor agreement; by submitting a comment you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions therein. DIACC Members are also subject to the Intellectual Property Rights Policy. Any notice of an intent not to license under either the Contributor Agreement and/or the Intellectual Property Rights Policy with respect to the review documents or any comments must be made at the Contributor’s and/or Member’s earliest opportunity, and in any event, within the 30-day comment period. IPR claims may be sent to review@diacc.ca. Please include “IPR Claim” as the subject.

Process:

  • All comments are subject to the DIACC contributor agreement.
  • Submit comments using the provided DIACC Comment Submission Spreadsheet.
  • Reference the draft and corresponding line number for each comment submitted.
  • Email completed DIACC Comment Submission Spreadsheet to review@diacc.ca.
  • Questions may be sent to review@diacc.ca.

Value to Canadians:

The PCTF Digital Wallet component will provide value to all Canadians, businesses, and governments by setting a baseline of business, legal, and technical interoperability. The DIACC’s mandate is to collaboratively develop and deliver resources to help Canadian’s to digitally transact with security, privacy, and convenience. The PCTF is one such resource and guides digital identity ecosystem interoperability by putting policy, standards, and technology into practice aligning with defined levels of assurance. The DIACC is a not-for-profit coalition of members from the public and private sector who are making a significant and sustained investment in accelerating Canada’s Identity Ecosystem.

Context:

The purpose of this review is to ensure transparency in the development and diversity of a truly Pan-Canadian, and international, input. In alignment with our Principles for an Identity Ecosystem, processes to respect and enhance privacy are being prioritized through every step of the PCTF development process.

DIACC expects to modify and improve these Draft Recommendations based upon public comments. Comments made during the review will be considered for incorporation into the next iteration and DIACC will prepare a Disposition of Comments to provide transparency with regard to how each comment was handled.

2022 Budget Statement

Canada’s trusted digital ID leader, the DIACC, welcomes Budget 2022 investments for digital transformation and Canadian innovation

TORONTO, APRIL 7, 2022 — Joni Brennan, President of the Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) released a statement following the tabling of the federal budget today:

The DIACC welcomes the federal government’s investments for digital transformation and Canadian innovation to enable a thriving digital economy announced in today’s budget.

We have seen throughout the pandemic the heightened role digital services have played in supporting Canadians; however, the disruptive events here in Canada and abroad, including the misinformation and cyber attacks surrounding it, underscore the need to protect our citizens and businesses. Core to that safety is privacy, security and choice in how citizens and businesses across Canada share personal information online. That’s why a safe and secure digital ID ecosystem is essential for the post-pandemic economic recovery. 

Digital ID allows people and organizations to verify themselves online securely and protect personal information while allowing them to control how their information is used and shared. Like a physical ID card, digital ID credentials typically include documents and cards such as driver’s licences and passports. Digital ID is a choice. It is a supplemental tool for people and organizations to access online services.

A digital identity is a highly personal yet critical component to both serve and protect Canadians. We must have a clear path forward on how Canada’s public and private sectors can work together to build a trusted platform that protects our digital identities. 

We know that an effective, safe and secure digital ID ecosystem will save manual operation costs and reduce fraud, saving an estimated $482 million for provincial and federal governments, and $4.5 billion for private sector organizations.

Today’s budget announcement keeps the importance of secure and privacy protecting digital ID in our windows and more work needs to be done to develop this path based on citizen consent, control, and trust. We look forward to collaborating with the government on consultations to support these imperative next steps while finding ways to combat misinformation that surrounds it. 

We are also pleased to see the Government of Canada maintaining the momentum on its commitment to work “towards a common and secure approach for a trusted digital identity platform to support seamless service delivery to Canadians across the country.”

Trusted, interoperability platforms that secure Canadian identities are more critical now than ever before.

About Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)

The Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) is a non-profit coalition of public and private sector organizations committed to developing research and tools to enable secure, robust, and scalable Canadian digital ID solutions and services. With privacy, security, and choice at the forefront of all DIACC initiatives, we aim to enable all Canadians to participate safely and confidently in the global digital economy.

For more information

Krista Pawley

krista@imperativeimpact.com 

416 270 9987

Privacy, Security, and Choice Drive Canadians’ Desire for Digital ID

Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada Research Finds Canadians Want Digital ID that is user-centric and aligns with their values

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Toronto, April 4, 2022 – Canadians need to feel safe and in control when they engage in the digital economy. Core to that safety are privacy, security and choice in how they share personal information online. According to the third annual national survey undertaken by the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), a staggering 91 per cent of Canadian respondents are calling for control over their personal data collected by provincial and federal governments. 

Additionally, 86 per cent of respondents want control over personal data collected by private organizations, and 80 per cent want a secure and unified digital ID ecosystem.

“A trusted pan-Canadian digital identity framework is essential to digital economic prosperity,” said DIACC president Joni Brennan. “While there is some progress on recognizing the importance of digital ID, Canada is still at a stage where more work must be done on the policy side to ensure a truly digital economy.”

Unlocking an inclusive digital economy is an opportunity for the government to rebuild much-needed trust among Canadians, enhance privacy, and demonstrate that citizens’ rights are a top priority. According to the Edelman 2021 Canadian Trust Barometer, only 53 per cent of Canadians trust government organizations – a drastic decline of six points since only the previous year.

DIACC’s research reflects this lack of trust. “A trusted digital ID framework needs to be designed with people at the centre. All Canadians need to be able to choose if and how they want to use their digital ID credentials. Digital ID is not intended to replace existing physical ID methods, but as an optional supplemental tool,” Brennan said.

Establishing a trusted digital ID will allow people and organizations the choice to verify themselves online securely, while protecting personal information with no user traceability. It offers a decentralized, privacy-enhancing solution for both the private and public sectors.

The DIACC applauds the federal government for including digital identity as a priority in Treasury Board President Mona Fortier’s mandate letter. The need to invest in digital ID was also referenced twice in the House of Commons Finance Committee’s 2021 pre-budget recommendation as critical to supporting Canada’s Digital Government Strategy in secure service delivery.

“It’s encouraging to see recognition of the critical role that digital identity plays in enabling Canada’s economy; however, we need to see a real commitment to action if we are going to reap the benefits of Digital ID and Digital Trust in meaningful economic growth,” said Dave Nikolejsin, the DIACC’s Board Chair, referring to the DIACC’s Pan-Canadian Trust Framework™ (PCTF).

The PCTF is a publicly available set of tools, shared principles, and guidelines to help organizations operate in a digital ecosystem. It includes processes like Notice and Consent, Authentication, Verification, Privacy, Credentials, and Infrastructures – both technologically and operationally.

Most importantly, the PCTF is citizen-centric. It is designed to keep users safe.

“This is an opportunity for industry and government leaders to come together and build a strong partnership. We have the fundamentals, we have the expertise, and we have the framework. Now, we need mutual investment across sectors to put the PCTF into action,” said Franklin Garrigues, VP External Ecosystems at TD Bank, DIACC Board Vice-Chair.

Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents are calling for governments to collaborate with the private sector to develop a pan-Canadian digital ID. On top of this, three quarters want the government to move quickly.

Privacy. Security. Choice.

DIACC is committed to developing research and tools to enable secure, robust, and scalable Canadian digital identity (digital ID) solutions and services. With digital advancements happening at a surefire rate, DIACC prioritizes privacy, security, and, most importantly, choice of use at the forefront of all digital ID initiatives.

To achieve real growth and sustainability, Canadians need transparency in governance. They need a digital ID they can own and choose to use. A digitally and economically prosperous Canada depends on it.

Learn more about the DIACC and digital ID.

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ABOUT DIACC

DIACC is a growing coalition of public and private sector organizations who are making a significant and sustained effort to ensure Canada’s full, secure, and beneficial participation in the global digital economy.  By solving challenges and leveraging opportunities, Canada has the chance to secure at least three per cent of unrealized GDP or $100 billion of potential growth by 2030. Seizing this opportunity is a must in a digital society as we work through the COVID pandemic challenges. Learn more about the DIACC mandate. 

DIACC was created as a result of the Minister of Finance’s Electronic Payments Task Force that recommended that Canada needs a framework for digital identity and authentication that a self-governing body of experts must create.

Want to contribute to a digital ID ecosystem? Apply to become a DIACC member today. 

ABOUT THE RESEARCH FIRM

Burak Jacobson Research Partners is a full-service market research consulting firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1981, Burak Jacobson has conducted over 4,000 research projects in 39 countries across a variety of industries.