Canada Backpedals on Sharing Personal Database With U.S.

(The Canadian Press)

Ottawa has quietly dropped plans to let the United States house a database of personal information about Canadians who hold special driver’s licences aimed at better securing the border.

The move follows vocal criticism from federal and provincial privacy commissioners, who warned earlier this year the scheme could open the door to abuse of the sensitive data.

However, the office of federal Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart is still wary of the plan to share information on so-called enhanced driver’s licences with the United States, and stresses the passport is still the ideal travel document for Canadians.

“All in all, we are pleased to see that they listened to some of our recommendations, but we remain hopeful that they’ll heed to many of our other concerns,” said Anne-Marie Hayden, a spokeswoman for Stoddart.

As of next June under Washington’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all people entering the U.S. must have a passport or other secure documentation confirming citizenship and identity. Read more here.