Canada's privacy watchdogs are warning governments to think twice before sharing information about Canadians with U.S. border guards.

The country's privacy commissioners are meeting in Victoria this week, where they are discussing how pilot projects in Ontario and British Columbia could set a dangerous precedent when it comes to accessing information.

The B.C. government says new high-tech driver's licences that can be used in place of passports at U.S. border crossings won't contain private information about drivers.

However, Canada's privacy commissioners have voiced fears about handing over personal data to U.S. border guards.

They were worried about American officers being able to view people's driving and accident records, including any fines or penalties.

Concerns about privacy centre on a pilot project, which the B.C. government announced last month in a bid to comply with tougher U.S. border crossing rules. 

In B.C., 500 people will receive enhanced driver's licenses.  They'll be embedded with a chip encoded with information that's normally included on a driver's licence, plus a digital photo and a birth certificate number.

B.C. Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis says Canadians need to take careful consideration before taking any approach that will transfer the personal information of Canadian citizens to the U.S. or any other government.

He said that's because the information swiped from the cards will be permanently held by the United States and Canadian privacy laws will no longer apply.

Loukidelis said that means Canadians can be easily monitored by U.S. authorities, and there are no citizens watchdogs in the United States.

The B.C. government has agreed to make sure that those volunteering for the enhanced driver's licences are aware of that fact, Loukidelis said.

But so far, neither the federal nor provincial governments have promised to insist that independent U.S. information watchdogs be created.

With files from the Canadian Press