Driver's licence health numbers raise privacy concerns

Alberta's plan to merge health numbers into driver's licences is raising red flags with the province's privacy watchdog. Starting July 2, residents will be able to ditch paper health cards in favour of integrated IDs that bundle personal health numbers (PHN) with citizenship markers and licence information.

But Commissioner Diane McLeod warned Thursday that cramming this much sensitive data onto one card creates new risks. "It creates a risk that now we have more information in one place that could be subject to snooping or hacks," she said.

PHNs are valuable targets on the black market. Driver's licence data is too. Together on one card, they become an even richer prize for fraud. McLeod also flagged that the Registrar of Motor Vehicles — which issues licences — isn't subject to provincial privacy laws the way other government agencies are. That means residents have fewer legal protections if something goes wrong.

Citizenship markers embedded in the licence could also invite discrimination, McLeod said, a concern she raised when the province first announced the plan last August.

Premier Danielle Smith countered that the new card has 57 security features and will actually reduce fraud compared to carrying separate documents. The province said health information is protected under multiple laws, but McLeod's point stands: the Registrar's limited oversight leaves a gap.