National Identity Cards, Biometrics and the Consumer: Displacing the Personal from the Person

Author

Hasini Palihapitya

Organization

Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)

Published

2005

Summary

As Canada continues to bolster national security post September 11th, and consumer commerce becomes increasingly jeopardized by identity theft, a National Identity Card scheme has been discussed as a potential solution. However, critics charge that National Identity Cards could turn into “de facto internal passports” which would be required to access almost all government or business services. Additionally, this new Card could lead to serious breaches to personal privacy. First, this report focuses on the security solutions offered by a National Identity Card, in terms of (a) National Security, (b) Identity Theft. Second, the privacy implications of a National Identity Card program will be identified, including a discussion of the effect of The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in enabling infringement of personal privacy in the context of a National Identity Card scheme.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database