Encryption Of RFID Chips To Be Used In Canadian Driver's License Suggested

Ottawa, Canada (AHN) - Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Anne Cavoukian encouraged the federal government on Wednesday to share its driver's license database with other Canadian provinces to save on cost.

The failure of Parliament Hill to share the information with other provinces would result not only in wasting taxpayers' money due to duplication of efforts to build database, but also may put in danger the privacy of Canadians.

Provinces that have taken initial steps to have high-tech driver's license to be used in lieu of a passport to cross the U.S. border include British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba, but the federal government had turned down their request for data sharing.

It prompted Cavoukian to write Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley to seek their help in convincing Ottawa to share its database.

Some of the provinces are considering embedding a radio frequency identification chip in their driver's license. Cavoukian recommended encrypting the data since RFID chips may be accessible and picked up by anyone within the vicinity.