Newfoundland and Labrador Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey was proud to host the annual meeting of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Information and Privacy Commissioners in St. John’s on September 19-21, 2022. This was the first face-to-face meeting of Commissioners since 2019 and the meeting involved presentations from several experts and valuable discussions on topics of mutual interest.

Commissioner Harvey is proud to announce, as an outcome of the meeting, the issuance of a Joint Resolution on Ensuring the Right to Privacy and Transparency in the Digital Identity Ecosystem in Canada, endorsed by all of Canada’s Privacy Commissioners[1].

With so many services being offered online which are increasingly interconnected, it is more important than ever that there be a means to verify identity that is reliable, secure and respects privacy. Attention to the development of such a “digital identity ecosystem” is a global trend to enable individuals, businesses and devices to securely and efficiently connect with one another, confirm the identity of individuals, and carry out transactions online and in person with a high degree of efficiency and confidence.

Commissioners therefore made a series of recommendations to governments and relevant stakeholders to ensure that rights to privacy and transparency are fully respected throughout the design, operation and ongoing evolution of a digital identity ecosystem in Canada. The joint resolution includes a non-exhaustive list of conditions and properties, including ecosystem properties, individual rights and remedies, and governance and oversight, that should be integrated with a legislative framework applicable to the creation and management of digital identities.

Commissioner Harvey states that “As many of us live more and more of our lives online, it is essential that our digital identities – our online selves – be safe and secure. We must not have to sacrifice our privacy to participate in this online world. We also must not leave behind those who prefer offline alternatives.” My Office will continue to monitor the development of digital identity initiatives and to collaborate with my colleagues across Canada to strengthen our knowledge and capacity in this area. I welcome any public body considering a digital identity initiative to reach out to my Office for a consultation to better ensure privacy protections and public trust.”

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Media contact
Sean Murray
Director of Research and Quality Assurance
709-729-6309

[1] In New Brunswick and Manitoba, the privacy oversight role is performed by the Ombudsperson. Also, the Information Commissioner of Canada, while a member of this FPT table, did not endorse this resolution as it relates to privacy matters. Another resolution on Securing Public Trust in Digital Healthcare was released during the meeting itself.