The July 1 launch of the Alberta Energy Rebate Portal has prompted widespread annoyance and suspicion, for good reason.

The whole thing is a dubious mix of digital roadblocks and data harvesting.

Susan Elliott, former senior official for PC governments, summed it up on Facebook.

The application is “quite cumbersome. You have to work for your $100.

“But worse, you have to consent to the government storing your banking information in their database.

“I feel my privacy and security are being eroded in the name of digital convenience.”

One response to Elliott went right to the point. “After the voter list theft and data breach followed by utter inaction . . . can’t trust them, so it’s not worth the $100.”

He referred to the leak of the entire Alberta voters database to third-party actors favouring separatism.

That breach prompted a class-action lawsuit headed by lawyer Clint Docken, an expert in such matters.

This and other events heighten general worry and suspicion about privacy breaches.

With the rebate benefit, the government wants social insurance numbers and 2025 tax information. If your return hasn’t been assessed, you’re out of luck.

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