The lack of transparency of Éric Caire’s ministry is blocking his digital identity project for citizens. It cannot guarantee to the Information Access Commission that it respects the protection of personal data.
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Minister Eric Caire’s flagship project is in trouble. The Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital (MCN) is allegedly at war with the Information Access Commission (CAI) over the application of the Digital Identity Project.
The CAI refused to approve the extension of ClicSÉQUR. This is the first milestone of the project and Éric Caire had promised that it would be operational from June last year.
This first block was intended to facilitate the delivery of government services to citizens and businesses. He was initially employed in the Ministry of Family Affairs.
However, the CAI, which has to ensure that this Quebec Digital Identity Service (SQIN) respects the law and protects the privacy of citizens, is unhappy with the governance framework presented to it.
lack of transparency
“The Commission stresses the importance of the project manager being transparent to the public and assessing, from the earliest stages of planning the project, legal compliance and the risks and impact on private life associated with the various blocks of this project are connected,” explained Emmanuelle Giraud, communications consultant at the CAI.
The Commission wants this framework to be improved before giving its approval, which has not yet happened.
However, she had already informed the ministry in December 2021 of all the elements to be included (see below).
Upon his appointment as minister in January 2022, Minister Cairo promised to deliver the first part last June.
Mr Caire had even argued that if he didn’t keep his word there could be “computer chaos”. However, nothing was accessible in June.
To explain the delay, Minister Cairo said over the summer that he wanted to subject the project to the bug bounty program. This is a virtual space for friendly hackers to test government programs and find bugs in them.
“I’m not afraid to say that we are delivering and that we are delivering on time, not bad,” he told our Parliament office, adding: “It’s for the month of August, ahead of the country.” [électorale] “.
attention
However, the service is still unavailable.
“A close working relationship between the two organizations has been agreed between the Commission President and the Department’s Deputy Minister to meet the Commission’s requirements,” assures Patrick Morency of Public Affairs at the CMN, noting that the government was given the role by decree the approval of this project.
A first delivery of the SQIN is now planned for autumn 2022, the ministry is pleading. At the moment, Quebec has spent $18.7 million on this project.
What the Commission intends to approve:
- The Department’s Data Protection Impact Assessment
- The rules established by the department that govern its management in relation to personal data
*These rules must provide the framework for retention and destruction of personal data, the roles and responsibilities of public sector personnel in relation to that information throughout its life cycle, and a process for handling complaints regarding its protection.
ATTENTION
“ The numerous data protection incidents, fraud cases and identity thefts show how important it is to create a reliable digital identification system that protects citizens’ personal data. The government must demonstrate transparency at all stages of the implementation of the digital identity project, encouraging citizens to participate through broad consultation, as some provinces have done. »
With kind approval
Me Diane Poitras, President of the Commission d’accès à l’information.
– Me Diane Poitras, President of the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec
According to a joint resolution published on October 24 with data protection officers and ombudsmen
Council of Ministers: loss of power
Before the formation of the new Council of Ministers, sources had reiterated that Minister Éric Caire was not “able to deliver the goods”, citing the example of the first milestone of digital identity, namely the modernization of clicSÉQUR, which for legal reasons was taken over by the Information was blocked Access Commission.
When the new Council of Ministers was appointed, Mr Caire retained his position as Head of the Department for Cybersecurity but lost responsibility for access to information and the protection of personal data. Jean-François Roberge succeeded him.
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