The headline in the Toronto Star this morning is "'SMART CARD' HERE WITHIN YEAR" The idea is to have everyone in Ontario have a 'smart card' that will "keep track of everything from mammograms to speeding tickets". This card will "replace the existing health card, drivers's licence, social assistance identification, drug card, and senior identification". Health Minister Jim Wilson said " For example, when you are discharged from hospital, your patient record doesn't follow you (so) you may go to your family doctor back in your hometown and have all the tests and x-rays duplicated." "That sort of information can be available in a central database. Of course we have to have all the discussions about privacy of information." (I'll just bet we do!) "Former Health Minister Ruth Grier also explored a smart card, but rejected the idea because she said it posed too great a risk to patient privacy. Wilson said privacy protection will be a key part of the new card, ensuring that only appropriate health-care workers and OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) officials can access sensitive patient information." "The card would carry basic 'tombstone data' such as date of birth and gender that Wilson said is now collected by 200 different government programs." "Wilson said the government has not decided whether the cards will carry a residents's fingerprints, photo or other form of identification." It seems that Canada is backing into a national identity card using 'smart' technology. Before any Americans on this list get too smug about 'it could never happen in America', just remember, all it takes is a successful example of implementation in a western country and the pressure will come to your country too. Sign me concerned, Tim Philp =================================== For PGP Public Key, Send E-mail to: pgp-public-keys@swissnet.ai.mit.edu In Subject line type: GET PHILP ===================================