Building Public Trust
Understanding the Public Trust Gap in Digital
Despite growing frustration with online scams and identity theft, there is no strong public call to action for digital trust solutions. This disconnect represents a critical challenge that governments and businesses must address together.
📊 23% of Canadians remain unsure or apprehensive about digital trust capabilities, even as 55% already feel their positive impacts
Closing the Gap: A Roadmap for Trust
Digital trust capabilities, technologies and methods that verify identity while enhancing privacy, security, and transparency are critical for a secure and inclusive digital economy. Yet hesitancy persists, rooted in legitimate concerns about data privacy and security.
This series explores the public trust gap and provides actionable recommendations for governments and businesses to close it.
What Canadians Want
| 91%
Want control over personal data collected by governments |
86%
Want control over data collected by private organizations |
71%
Believe public-private collaboration is the best approach |
80%
Want a secure and unified digital identity ecosystem |
Explore the Public Trust Gap
-
01
What is the public trust gap?
Understand the disconnect between growing digital threats and insufficient public understanding of solutions that could protect them.
-
02
Why the Gap Exists
Explore the root causes: lack of education, legitimate privacy concerns, and misconceptions about how digital trust and identity verification work.
-
03
Research & Key Findings
Review DIACC’s comprehensive research revealing what Canadians want: control, transparency, and voluntary adoption.
-
04
Core Principles
Learn the foundational principles: privacy by design, voluntary adoption, data minimization, and people-centred design.
-
05
Recommendation for All
Five critical actions every organization should take: education, terminology, public safety, and modular transformation.
-
06
For Government Leaders
Specific strategies for public sector: prioritizing digital trust, collaborative governance, and legislative modernization.
-
07
For Business Leaders
Private sector actions: storytelling campaigns, visible partnerships, interoperability, and adopting trust frameworks.
-
08
Moving Forward Together
The path ahead: continuous engagement, evidence-based communication, inclusive design, and robust governance.
Join the Conversation
Building trust together requires collaboration between governments, businesses, civil society, and the public. Let’s work together to close the trust gap and unlock the benefits of digital trust for all Canadians.