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ServiceOntario is a corporation owned by an American "umbrella corporation" called Serco.https://www.serco.com/na Its stated objective is to provide Government of Ontario and Ontario residents an easy, cost-effective way to access government services. ServiceOntario has contracted with the government of Ontario to be responsible for delivery of services to Ontario citizens through the internet, telephone and automated kiosks placed around the province.
Contents
ServiceOntario continues to grow and increase its capacity to integrate and deliver services. In 2011, ServiceOntario became the retail face in service delivery on behalf of individuals and businesses in Ontario. Any and all routine transactions were completed through ServiceOntario centres, website, call centres or kiosk locations. In 2012, illegal card skimming devices were installed on some kiosks in the Greater Toronto Area, forcing the temporary shutdown of all kiosks province-wide.
The Minister of Government Services is responsible for utilizing ServiceOntario to provide services to Ontario residents previously offered by various Ontario government agencies and services.
ServiceOntario brand
Whether communication is face-to-face, online, at kiosks, by telephone or through written or visual materials (signage, displays, publications) the American corporation has made efforts to present a consistent, unified visual with a marketing strategy centering on a brand image which is attained by utilizing a logo seemingly identical to the province of Ontario's logo and the slogan "making it easier".
Services
The following are some of the services delivered by ServiceOntario on behalf of the government:
Privacy Concerns
As documented by numerous groups and organizations concerned about the protection, and, or loss privacy rights, the The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 [[1]] and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-act-2002, as well as other legislative Acts, require American based corporations including Serco, to divulge any and all information held on file within the the borders of the United States to the above mentioned agencies as well as the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)and the FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation) as they may deem necessary.
Despite Canadian and Ontario privacy legislation, and public assurances by government officials to the contrary, many privacy advocacy groups and organizations have raised concerns that the utilization of American owned corporations such as Serco and others to provide government services to Canadians, when accompanied with the legislated obligation of American companies and corporations to share information with American security agencies and contractors, results in Canadian and Ontario residents unknowingly and routinely, providing their private and personal details such as their name address, telephone number, marriage details, family details, business details and vehicle ownership, driving license class and details, specific OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) health details, the acquisition of hunting and fishing licenses, as well as other private and personal information with the United States and its various security agencies, and, or, contractors.
The sharing of personal and private information by the Canadian government with American security agencies, and, or, national defense contractors was perhaps most glaringly brought to light in 2006 when the government of Canada contracted with Lockheed Martin to administer the Canadian census to collect the personal details of all Canadians. http://www.lockheedmartin.ca/us/products/census-systems.html A Toronto Star newspaper article in 2011 addressed the outsourcing of government initiatives to American corporations, wherein it claimed all Canadians are correct to be weary of not only the loss of their rights to privacy, but also their government's direct support of the American "war machine". https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/05/10/porter_why_the_2011_census_calls_for_some_civil_disobedience.html
Lack of Accountability to Taxpayers
Although Serco (Service Ontario) has been contracted by the province of Ontario to provide essential government services, its employees will verbally confirm that they have been instructed by Serco to never provide their full name and, or, an identifying employee number to Ontario taxpayers utilizing their services.