The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday downplayed privacy concerns raised by the government's efforts to create standardized, data-chipped drivers licenses across the country.

The same technology that makes information on identification cards more reliable can also protect privacy, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff said during a speech to the Northern Virginia Technology Council. "It's my contention that properly used technology ... actually protects privacy," he said. "We should not allow folks to be captivated by the argument that every time we do something with a computer, it invades privacy."

At InfoWorld.

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