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
416 270 9987