The Government of Canada (GOC) has deployed its much-feared digit ID system through an app in the Google Play Store—promoted in a video for use by licensed pilots.
The GC Wallet, in beta trial, is a mobile app developed by the Canadian government for storing and presenting official digital credentials (such as temporary visas and pilot licenses) in a standards-based digital format, allowing offline access, automatic updates, and expiry notifications "while meeting strict federal security and privacy standards."
According to the GOC, the GC Wallet is designed as a foundational component of the Government of Canada's broader digital credential ecosystem and is expected to expand beyond pilot licenses and temporary visas to encompass a wider array of official documents.
Currently available on Android and iOS, it remains restricted to invited participants in a limited pilot program and is not open to the general public—although the Westgate Sentinel was able to download and interact with the application.
Many Canadians and privacy advocates have expressed concern about the broader rollout of government digital ID systems like GC Wallet, fearing increased centralized control over personal data, the risk of mass surveillance through activity tracking, potential data breaches in a single high-value target, exclusion of people without smartphones or reliable internet, and the possibility of “mission creep” where voluntary credentials gradually become mandatory for everyday services (travel, banking, healthcare, etc.), effectively creating a national digital identity framework without sufficient public debate or legislative oversight.
