In today's social and economic environment, digital is everywhere. From shopping online to accessing government services and researching the latest health information, Canadians are online more than ever. It's partly why the government of Canada has endorsed the Declaration for the Future of the Internet, “committing to stand with our allies in support of an Internet that is open, trusted, interoperable and secure,” as Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne has said.With the rise of online activity however, the presence of misinformation and disinformation also grows.According to Statistics Canada, during the pandemic, 96 per cent of Canadians who searched for and found COVID-19 information online said they suspected the information was misleading, false or inaccurate. Among these, one-quarter saw misinformation multiple times a day. Only four per cent said they never saw misinformation, and, 40 per cent of Canadians said they saw information they believed to be true, then later realized it was not.Trust in online information, media, government organizations and the perceived lack of privacy can be seen on the decline over the years. In fact, the Edelman 2021 Canadian Trust Barometer, shows only 53 per cent of Canadians trust government organizations — a drastic decline of six points since only the previous year.It's no wonder there is so much confusion and mistrust around the benefits and privacy protections gained by implementing digital ID solutions and services.Canadians need to feel safe and in control of their information when they engage online. Core to that safety is privacy, security and choice in how they share personal information online. The third annual national survey undertaken by the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) shows a staggering 91 per cent of Canadian respondents are calling for control over their personal data collected by provincial and federal governments.Additionally, 86 per cent of respondents want control over personal data collected by private organizations, and 80 per cent want a secure and unified digital ID ecosystem.Establishing trusted digital ID credentials and services using a Pan-Canadian Trust Framework (PCTF) addresses many of these privacy concerns. By designing digital ID credentials with privacy and security at the centre, people will be able to share the least amount of personal information needed for the transaction at hand. For instance, when purchasing alcohol, Canadians should only need to prove they have reached the legal age for doing so. Instead of showing a driver's licence that includes a person's name, birthdate and home address — three pieces of information that are traditionally used for security identification purposes and can be misused for fraud — a digital ID could simply verify the person is of legal age. There is no reason for the person selling the alcohol to see any personal information at all.Digital IDs are about empowering Canadians with the choice to safely share their existing credentials (eg: passports, driver's licenses, health cards, citizenship cards) for digital or traditional transactions. It will allow people and organizations the choice to verify themselves online securely, while protecting personal information with no user traceability. It offers a decentralized, privacy-enhancing solution for both the private and public sectors.The PCTF is a publicly available set of tools, shared principles, and guidelines to help organizations operate in a digital ecosystem. It describes good-design requirements for processes like Notice and Consent, Authentication, Verification, Privacy, Credentials and Infrastructures — both technologically and operationally. Most importantly, the PCTF is people-centric. It is designed to keep people safe.The federal government should be applauded for including digital identity as a priority in Treasury Board President Mona Fortier's mandate letter. To put Canadian benefits at the centre, a whole of government and cohesive public and private sector approach is needed. And governments must make solving digital ID, with privacy and security, a stated priority now. Our country cannot afford to address digital IDs as siloed and individual projects. Canada needs to take the lead by establishing Canadian policy that puts people in control of their public and private sector data. This is how we build trust in an age of misinformation.Aside from increasing privacy and trust, a digital ID offers economic benefits as we move toward post-pandemic recovery. The impact of digital identity could be used to improve processes that are difficult today, resulting in a potential $4.5 billion of added value to SMEs and reinvestments in the Canadian economy.To achieve real growth and sustainability, and more importantly — security and trust — Canadians need transparency in governance. They need a digital ID they can own and choose to use. A digitally and economically prosperous Canada depends on it.Joni Brennan is president of the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC).