By Darlene

Some Canadian provinces are considering implementing digital ID. On the Ministry of Ontario website, digital ID is presented as a benign and unobtrusive system, described as “a new, convenient way to prove who you are that will make accessing online and in-person services simpler, safter, and more secure.”

Sounds good, right? What could be wrong with such a system? The site then goes on to define their terms:

a.) convenient and secure — it lives on your mobile device and your data is protected using strong encryption. It can be turned off if your phone is lost or stolen

b.) privacy-preserving — for example, if you need to show you are age of majority, the verifier will only know you are over 18, not your date of birth or actual age

c.) verifiable — just like a driver’s licence, a digital ID is certified government proof that you are who you say you are

d.) voluntary — signing up for digital ID will be optional and you can control who can access your data

The official government line is clearly in favour of this new form of identification. Should we trust them?

Central banks in Canada and around the world are already developing digital currencies to replace paper money. These currencies will be integrated into any digital ID. Digital ID will centralize every citizen’s financial, business, medical and social information and assign them an identification under this system, all of which threaten our civil liberties, and privacy rights, proving an opportunity for abuse of governmental authorities in terms of surveillance and compelled behaviour.

We have already witnessed that the government is capable of such abuse of power as evidenced in the freedom convoy protest in which the government seized property and froze bank accounts to counter those whose opinions differ from their leaders.

We know that the central banking system is interested in centralizing our currencies into a crypto currency much like bitcoin.

However, there is a big difference between centralized digital currency and the decentralized currencies like bitcoin. For the most part, when we use cash or decentralized currencies like bitcoin, we don’t have to reveal our identity when exchanging goods. We aren’t excluded from buying or selling if we don’t disclose our information.

In the case of a centralized crypto currency, the banks would have control over your transactions as you would be required to have an ID that would enable you to access that currency as it is no longer in your personal control. You can’t have CBDC’s without digital ID, so in reality it won’t be voluntary at all unless you decide not to participate in society.

With centralized digital currency access through digital ID, every single transaction in your life will be logged and registered on an open ledger (block chain). Your identity will be tied to your currency, and it will log all your transactions. Forever. Unlike decentralized digital currency, where your identity will not be revealed on a blockchain ledger so you won’t be tracked and traced, there will be no anonymity whatsoever.

This type of digital currency, requiring a digital ID, can be programmed by the government, who will have the power to determine what you purchase and what you sell and buy.

Digital ID can also give the government the power to trump your own individual decision making. For instance, it might stop you from driving for fear that you are using too much gas. You might need third party approval for your transactions, leading all of us dangerously to a potential social credit system like what exists in China, in which the government can determine what we can and can’t do or spend based on whatever arbitrary system they determine. For instance, I might want to take a trip, but the government decides that it will not permit me to access money for the trip because I might be punished for what is perceived to be my bad behaviour like failure to recycle or buying too much meat. Or, maybe the government doesn’t like what I say; hence, I could be financially punished for exercising what was once my right to free speech.

Furthermore, do you really think that everyone will be subject to the same system? Do you trust that those in control of this system won’t abuse it? That the elites will set up rules for us common folk, rules that won’t apply to them? Abuse seems quite likely based on the hypocritical flaunting of covid rules by our illustrious leaders who implemented those rules.

Digital ID also lends itself to creating a Universal Basic Income, which means you won’t have control over your own money. The World Economic Forum, the organization behind the Great Reset proposal that “You will own nothing and be happy” is in complete support of digital identity. The government will own everything and decide what you get and when you get it. Will you really be happy?

Apparently, the people of Saskatchewan were not happy with the proposal of a digital ID. A recent poll revealed that 58% of respondents were unable to state they were even “somewhat comfortable” with a digital ID that could lead to a Chinese style social credit system. The Saskatchewan government has already, for now, rejected Digital ID, citing the cost of implementing the system as being another large concern.

What about Ontario? Will implementing a digital ID in the fall of 2022 be for the betterment of Ontarians? Did you get a chance to voice your concerns? Perhaps we all need to let our current MPPs and prospective new MPP’s running the provincial election on July 2, 2022, know how we feel about the direction of our great province.

Canadians need to think long and hard about the type of society in which they want to live and the amount of government they want in their lives. Is serfdom the price we pay for digital convenience?