Chris Calabrese, counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union's Technology and Liberty Program, warned the panel against using a specific computer chip that can be read wirelessly from several feet away. Information from the cards is programmed to be read as a person walks through a doorway, he said, but might also be plucked by tech-savvy criminals.
"Identity thieves would never need to physically steal your documents," Calabrese said. "Instead, they would be able to secretly and electronically pickpocket your information right through a wallet, pocket, backpack or purse."
Some businesses have seized on the wireless technology, which is used by Wal-Mart to track inventories, for example. Officials in the Department of Homeland Security say they plan to use it in patrolling borders.
In Virginia, Byron said she is wary of such chips. "I already had my mind made up that I have concerns about that," she said.
Other experts said putting any computer chip in a driver's license could allow government or industry to track a person's movement, purchases, habits and other actions. The more databases the computer chips are linked to, the more access there would be to private information, they said.
"The privacy concerns are real. They are scary," said Judith W. DeCew, a Clark University professor and author of a book on privacy, technology and ethics. "Credit bureaus are a benefit to you, but they also open up the door to people getting a lot of information about you to other people."
Bedford County Sheriff Michael J. Brown, a member of the National Sheriffs' Association, said better security should outweigh the privacy concerns.
"Sure, there are things that need to be tweaked," he said. "I'm here today to say we certainly do endorse and support this move to a smart driver's license."
But Richard Carter, technology director for the national association that represents motor vehicle department administrators and traffic police, said that group was not ready to recommend smart identification cards.
A traditional license costs about $1.50 to make, Carter said, but smart ones can cost as much as $10. In addition, equipment that costs $20 to $150 would have to be installed in every police car, DMV office and government building to scan and read the cards, he said.
