Most Canadians want government services available online post COVID-19

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TORONTO — A new survey from Interac Corp. shows three in four Canadians (75%) say government services should be accessible online instead of in-person.

Approximately half agree it is more important now than pre-COVID-19 to access health (55%) and government services (50%), such as renewing a driver’s licence and registering for benefits, online.

This appetite for a digital-first approach has been accelerated by Canadians’ increasing use of online services amid COVID-19, coupled with hygiene concerns around physical IDs.

Nearly six in 10 (58%) of Canadians have been transacting in ways that reduce physical contact more often than before the pandemic, with nearly the same amount (59%) citing worries about hygiene when handling physical IDs. Less than half (48%) say they are comfortable accessing government services in-person now, a 25% drop since pre-COVID-19. In addition to transactions, Canadians have been accessing various services online at increasing rates, with 37% saying they accessed health services online more often than before COVID-19.

“The pandemic has fuelled a greater need for innovation as Canadians recognize that digital access is needed not only to make life more convenient, but also to increase the speed by which Canadians can access government services in a crisis,” said Mark O’Connell, president and CEO of Interac Corp. “Physical identities can no longer be the status quo, and secure digital-first solutions, underpinned by government, must be adopted to meet the changing needs of Canadians.”

Canadians continue to recognize the convenience of using digital IDs, with digital versions of identity documents such as driver’s licences and heath cards seen as 10 percentage points more convenient on average now than in 2019. However, security remains a key consideration for adoption, with nearly seven in 10 (67%) of respondents noting they are open to using a digital ID if it means their identity data is better protected than it is today. Even more than in 2019, greater emphasis is on transparency around how information is used (70% vs. 58%, in 2020, 2019, respectively) as well as endorsement from banks (59% vs. 48%) and governments (57% vs. 46%.)

Canadians are particularly keen to use digital IDs when accessing government services, as six in 10 (61%) expect to be able to use these services online more often in the future. Over half (53%) would be interested in using a digital ID to access these services with nearly the same amount (51%) saying the government should prioritize providing Canadians with digital IDs in addition to physical IDs.