The Low-Down on Enhanced Driver's Licences

Canadians who frequently cross the US/Canada border by land or water now have the option of showing a new form of I.D. to make the experience a faster (and more enjoyable) one.

Enhanced Driver’s Licences, which are available in BC, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, became an acceptable form of identification on June 1. The new cards appear similar to a traditional driver’s licence, except they include a Radio Frequency Identification chip (RFID), making them equivalent in security to a passport (but easier to carry around). The cards also cost less than a passport, and $40 more than a regular driver’s licence.

Cause for debate

The new card, however, doesn’t come without controversy. Many opponents – including various Federal and Provincial privacy commissioners – believe the RFID chip in the new licences causes privacy concerns for Canadians.

While the chip doesn’t include personal information about the individual holder, it does contain a unique identification number that signifies that the holder is a Canadian citizen who has no travel restrictions and a valid driver’s licence.

When an individual crosses the border into the US, US Customs and Border Protection scans the number and then queries the Canada Border Services Agency database to verify that the number is valid. Provinces such as Ontario and BC are also considering implementing facial recognition scanning at border crossings, to further reduce fraud.

According to an article in the Toronto Star, however, the information shared with US authorities can easily get into the hands of various agencies under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and mined for "risky behaviour". Because the information is transmitted onto the other side of the border, Canadian privacy laws don't apply.

Risk of identity theft

The sharing of information is only one problem with the card, many say. The truth is, RFID technology is designed primarily for importing and exporting goods efficiently and inexpensively. The cards, therefore, can be read by any RFID reader – not just those installed at border crossings.

The unique string transmitted by the licence can allow an individual to be tracked by anyone with simple, inexpensive card-reading technology from 10 meters away, putting the holder at risk of identity theft.

While the card comes with a plastic covering that is supposed to prevent the licence from being read, the covering is said to be rather unreliable. The Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Ann Cavoukian, for one, is fighting to have an on/off switch placed on the licences so holders can determine when they want it to emit a signal.

The new cards aren't immune to fraudulent replication, either. A reporter for Montreal's Le Presse recently performed an experiment where he read the number on a colleague's card and cloned the card with a different picture.

Are they necessary?

With the ongoing privacy debate, provinces such as Saskatchewan, PEI and New Brunswick have opted to cancel their Enhanced Driver's Licence programs. Privacy advocates are asking other provinces to delay the roll-out until further research is done.

Unlike a passport, these licences aren't eligible forms of I.D. if you're flying to the States by plane or going to another country. And while it may save some time when you're opting to do some cross-border shopping, one has to wonder whether sacrificing your privacy is really worth it.