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(LifeSiteNews) –– Federal regulators have revealed that they are working on digital credentials for Canadians, despite MPs repeatedly rejecting the proposal over safety concerns.   

According to information published October 29 by Blacklock’s Reporter, Shared Services Canada, a federal IT department governed by the Liberal government, is developing “digital credentials” similar to mandatory federal ID like Social Insurance Numbers.  

“With more business conducted online, the Government of Canada and interested partners need a common set of capabilities to enable people to be issued, hold and present these types of credentials to make trusted claims about themselves in ways that are user friendly, cryptographically secure, privacy respecting, machine verifiable and to prevent misuse of their credentials by others,” said a notice to contractors by Shared Services Canada. 

According to the proposal, regulators would be given the power to revoke “credentials.” It did not disclose if the digital IDs would be mandatory but did compare the initiative to compulsory government issued identification.  

“Digital credentials are the equivalent of traditional physical credentials, enabling users to digitally prove things about themselves online and in person through a ‘holder component,’ e.g. digital wallet,” wrote Shared Services Canada.  

“The Government of Canada and interested partners, e.g. local, provincial and territorial governments, are working to establish digital credentials as a foundational pillar for delivering modern digital services, enabling people to interact with them with trust, speed and security,” it continued.   

“People are issued all sorts of credentials in their daily lives such as drivers’ licenses, university degrees, travel documents, work permits, Social Insurance Numbers and study permits,” the notice said, seemingly trying to assure Canadians that the new credentials would not infringe on their freedom.  

However, many have warned that digital IDs could prove dangerous, especially considering Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Bill C-63, which seeks to punish “hate speech” online.  

Bill C-63was introduced by Justice Minister Arif Virani in the House of Commons in February and was immediately blasted by constitutional experts as troublesome. Put forth under the guise of protecting children from exploitation online, the bill also seeks to expand the scope of “hate speech” prosecutions, and even desires to target such speech retroactively. 

It remains unclear how the proposed digital credentials would work, but if both Trudeau’s Bill C-63 and digital IDs proposal were passed into law, Canadians could face extreme censorship online.    

In response to the dangerous legislation, the Conservative Party recently promised to introduce a new online harms bill which would “expressly prohibit” digital IDs in Canada. 

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said the goal is to “protect the most vulnerable Canadians without creating a government-managed surveillance state or restricting Charter-protected speech.” 

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