Ontario's proposed Enhanced Drivers Licence (EDL): Unpacking the assemblage
Identity schemes constitute a central and growing component of the information infrastructure of our surveillance societies. ID cards serve as a vital nexus between individuated bodies, their activities and the databases that record and adjudicate transactions. In response to U.S. demands for better border 'security', Ontario has begun developing an Enhanced Drivers Licence (EDL), which it promotes as a cheaper and easier alternative to the passport for crossing into the U.S. The Photo Card Act currently before the Ontario Legislature calls for two novel and controversial technological features – the biometric screening of driver licence applicants against a province-wide database of facial images, as well as the incorporation of notoriously insecure and privacy-invasive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, insisted upon by the Department of Homeland Security. Enhancing' drivers licences in a way that is consistent with the REAL ID initiatives in the U.S. also raises the prospect a de facto North America-wide national ID scheme.
Drawing upon perspectives from science and technology studies (STS), and actor-network theory (ANT) in particular, this talk will analyse Ontario's proposed scheme to understand what is driving these ID card developments and what alternatives we might fruitfully pursue. By mapping the various human and non-human actors, as well as the shifting relations between them, this talk aims to encourage a more informed public discussion of the important issues at stake.
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada