No government ID: Navigating homelessness, identity, and privacy | Pas de carte d'identité gouvernementale : Gérer son itinérance, son identité et sa vie privée

Info Matters

Robert Fabes is a registered psychotherapist. His focus is on meaning-based existential mental health and addictions counselling. In addition to counselling clients in his private practice, he’s an addictions and trauma counsellor at The Ottawa Mission.

• Misconceptions about homelessness [5:06]
• Privacy concerns for people experiencing homelessness [6:18]
• Artificial intelligence tools to predict and prevent homelessness [9:10]
• Barriers people experiencing homelessness face when trying to obtain or replace government-issued ID [13:20]
• ID tied to access to services, self worth, and dignity [15:33]
• The ID Project at The Ottawa Mission [17:25]
• Social stigma about homelessness and privacy [21:41]
• Consulting with, and advocating for, the privacy rights of marginalized
  groups [23:18]
• Moving toward digital ID systems, ensuring no one is left behind [26:25]

Resources:

• ‘Explainable AI’ predicts homelessness in Ontario city (Cities Today)
• IPC Response to the Ontario government’s public consultation on a “Policy framework for Ontario’s digital identity program”
• Digital ID in Ontario (Government of Ontario)
• Nothing About Us Without Us: Seven Principles for Leadership & Inclusion of People with Lived Experience of Homelessness (Lived Experience Advisory Council)
• IPC Strategic Priorities 2021-2025
• Privacy and Transparency in a Modern Government(IPC resources)

Info Matters is a podcast about people, privacy, and access to information hosted by Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. We dive into conversations with people from all walks of life and hear stories about the access and privacy issues that matter most to them.

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Have an access to information or privacy topic you want to learn more about? Interested in being a guest on the show? Send us a tweet @IPCinfoprivacy or email us at [e-mail].

The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the IPC does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this podcast, and information from this podcast should not be used or reproduced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. None of the information, opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast bind the IPC’s Tribunal that may be called upon to independently investigate and decide upon an individual complaint or appeal based on the specific facts and unique circumstances of a given case.