Air Canada’s Digital ID Program Statement Is Fabricated
The Claim
The photo shows an official announcement of Air Canada, the Canadian Government, and the World Economic Forum's collaboration to launch a new official Digital ID program in October 2022.
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Emerging story
Social media users have shared a screenshot purportedly from an official Air Canada announcement of a collaboration between the company, the Canadian Government, and the World Economic Forum to launch a new official Digital ID program in October 2022.
“That's why they are not in a hurry to resolve the chaos at the airports - they will sell this to the gullible as 'the solution' wake up people,” a Twitter user wrote.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation revealed that the claim is fake. Air Canada did not make such a statement, and the implementation of the Digital ID program is not the cause of the chaos at many airports.
A Fabricated Statement
No such statement was found on Air Canada's official website. We conducted an advanced search on Air Canada's official Twitter account using the keywords "Air Canada," "Digital ID program," and "October," but we found no similar statement. Also using Google's advanced search didn't turn up any relevant results.
After reviewing the alleged Air Canada statement, we found many grammar and spelling errors. The photo did not include any specific implementation dates and did not include the correct program name.
However, the phone number that appears on the image is an Air Canada phone number for flight information and reservations. Meanwhile, the link below the alleged statement directed us to a World Economic Forum article published on April 30, 2021, that discussed how digital identity can help advance inclusive financial services.
The Known Traveller Digital Identity (KTDI)
Canada is one of two countries participating in the World Economic Forum's Known Traveller Digital Identity (KTDI) pilot program, according to an article published in the Western Standard on April 27, 2022.
According to the KTDI official website, the Known Traveller Digital Identity, or KTDI, is "a World Economic Forum initiative that brings together a global consortium of individuals, governments, authorities, and the travel industry to enhance security in global travel."
KTDI, which has been described as the first global collaboration of its kind, enables more secure and seamless travel, which benefits both travelers and the travel industry. It was also described as a way to "promote secure, seamless passenger travel in anticipation of changing traveler behaviors and expectations, the critical need to strengthen cross-border security, and the expected surge in passenger volumes in the coming decade."
The new tool provides partners access to verifiable claims of travelers' identity data and credibility, allowing them to optimize passenger processing and reduce risk. Meanwhile, it enables individuals to manage their profiles and collect digital 'attestations' of their data.
Airlines Crisis and Travel Chaos
Many airports struggled to cope with an extreme staffing deficit and long lines as the number of travelers increased during the summer.
Many passengers experienced flight delays and cancellations. Others even had their luggage stolen. According to reports, many factors are causing this chaos, but COVID-19 is at the heart of it.
The pandemic caused staff shortages, which are now being blamed for the situation, especially given how difficult it is to replace workers after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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