However, when an application is submitted on line, there's no signature. I understand your reasoning, but when a document must be signed in person at a Human Resources or Service Canada office, the signature is witnessed and identification may be requested. Moreover, when an application is made on line, what assurances do we have today and how will we know in future that the SIN will in fact be issued to a Canadian newborn?
Obviously, a newborn doesn't have access to a great many things. However, our goal is to be proactive. We're not merely concerned about the present, but also about the future. Fifteen or sixteen years down the road, because an application was submitted in his name, a person could conceivably use a SIN that should not have been issued to him.
Therefore, what safeguards are in place at this time, and what measures will be taken in future to ensure that on-line applications are a secure process for Canadians?