Security, privacy issues abound with enhanced driver's licences: Critics (CBC)

[Drew Wilson]

Technology used in new enhanced driver's licences being adopted by B.C., Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec is ill-suited for use in identification and poses significant privacy and security risks, says a spokeswoman for the high-tech card industry.

Catherine Johnston, CEO of the Advanced Card Technologies Association of Canada, said there are two kinds of radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips that can be used to store data and transmit it via radio waves:

One designed for identity management that must come in close contact with the reader in order to be read. The other, designed for applications like tracking pallets of goods through a warehouse, can be read at a distance.

"The problem is that we're using the pallet technology [for driver's licences]," Johnston said. "I can track you from a great distance and you're not going to know that I'm keeping track of you."

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*awaits input from MR*

[fleecy]

glad i live in the province that's slowest to adopt new policy somedays.

[mountain_rage]

*awaits input from MR*

Shes full of shit, that is my input. The RFID tags used on pallets are large active tags, definitely not the same thing being used in the drivers license. Shes comparing apples to oranges. I'll assume that she was refering to them both being active tags, but I can't even confirm that about the drivers license, I can't seem to find the datasheet on what they are using.

Also if her issue is with the RFID security, and not with RFID itself than the question should be why we are not using more secure RFID tags rather than banning its use all together. There are all kinds of systems that can be implemented to mask the ID of the carrier. That is if the person has the displeasure of being both stupid and paranoid of being tracked. If someone was worrried, I would assume they would have already gone purchase a quality signal blocking wallet. Now personally I would like to see rolling numbers be used with the tag, but if that is not economical at this time than I guess it makes sense to exclude it.

Need I also remind you that this is still compleatly voluntary, and people are free to get regular licenses whenever they want. If they rather use a passport with RFID than an ID card with RFID tag than that is their choice, no one is forcing you to have this card.

Finally, I do find it intriguing that the U.S. may get access to some of this information. Sadly I don't trust the article, since its already proven to me that its fear mongering and I will have to look into it some more before I can really comment. But if it hasn't been done yet, I would say Canada should control the server, and laws should be restricted on the information the U.S. can access on the citizens. The article makes it sound like such a system is non existant, but I have to assume there are some checks and balances in place.

[Drew Wilson]

This is why I wait for your opinion since you know more about RFID tags then I do. I figured you would be able to point out the flaw.

As for data sharing, it has been suggested that the EU share private data with the US (I forget when this was now, but it was definitely this year) which, in my mind, is a scary prospect - not that the US doesn't have access to our private data already, but I always figured that it is best to limit the damage done by the long arm of US security into other sovereign countries.