Privacy vs Safety?

Privacy and Safety - both strong Canadian values we often take for granted. But are they mutually exclusive?

That question is being raised over the Federal Proceeds of Crime (and money laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. Implemented in 2008, the act requires realtors to collect some form of personal identification from all their clients and store that information for five years. (Prior to 2008, realtors voluntarily notified FINTRAC about suspicious spending. Now they are required to keep it filed on record.)

I can understand the frustration of many realtors, having to take responsibility for people's identities. And what if their offices get broken into? They could be sued for lost records... which most of them didn't want to keep in the first place. It's also interesting how our province's privacy commissioner and medical association have also written concern. Primarily, over the use of health cards for non-medical purposes. But the government is of course covered. Section 11b of the Saskatchewan Health Information Act has a minor clause that allows the use of health cards for non-medical purposes, if required by an Act or law. Either way, privacy commissioner Gary Dickson has written his concerns in an e-mail saying he's worried about identity documents held by various organizations for long periods of time.

On the flip side of the coin, realtors aren't the only ones required to keep records. Accountants, security companies, insurance brokers and even casinos have to retrieve and keep some form of personal id. So the federal government doesn't think this is an onerous and new burden for realtors. 500 million dollars is laundered in the US each year alone, and the Canadian government wants to keep track of suspicious spending on this side of the border. All to prevent terrorists or organized criminals from setting up shop in Canada. But is this a legitimate concern of Canadians or is the government simply perpetuating a culture of fear? General crime rates across Canada have dropped over the past 10 years... mind you organized crime may be less detected and reported.

I think it's more likely these files will be stolen and identity theft will take place than for organized crime to start up. But, either way your information is out there, maybe not through realtors but through other job occupations. Not to mention the many ways we use the internet to give out personal id numbers all the time. So, technically you're information is daresay, never completey safe.

So what can you do. Is it better to be safe than sorry? Can you completely protect your identification? It all comes back to the basic question. In this day in age it seems like you have to choose. Privacy or safety - which one do you want?