Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/06/05/robo-jim-crow.html
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I’m never going out again.
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Everything you need to verify my ID you can get by looking at it with your eyes. I’m not physically handing it over to anyone but LEO.
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Seems like an easy target for an FCRA lawsuit, possibly even a class action.
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“Patronscan”?
More like “Patrons can,” as in “Patrons can choose a less Orwellian establishment to frequent.”
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of course, when Big Brother comes, it will be corporate.
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I must say, if your visual inspection of my state-issued identification placard isn’t enough to permit me entry into your alcohol dispensarium, I shall find another place of purveyance, thank you very much (hic).
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I’ve never even seen this. I guess I need to get out more.
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I haven’t been to a big nightclub or bar in years…since I quit drinking my only reason to go out at night is to hear live music in small independent venues. So I’ve never seen an ID scanner & after this article I will certainly never hand over my ID to one. How common are these things?
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Dear Patronscan.
I am fascinated by your novel solution to patron identification. But I have some concerns in implementing it.
If I am faced with a GDPR Subject Access Request (SAR) for the blacklisting data affecting said individual requestor, how do I comply with such a request? If unable, will you offer legal indemnity for failure to respond to such a request within 40 calendar days?
EDIT: (continuing)
In the event that the implemented technology is determined in violation of these rules, will it be my bar establishment, or will it be Patronscan that will carry the responsibility for paying said fines (the greater of 20M euro or 4% of business gross revenue, whichever is greater.)
EDIT: Minor word changes, noted with strike-thru above.
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They have this (or something similar) in Vancouver B.C. because of the gang problems here. I refuse to go into any bar that scans my ID.
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This remind me of a private bartender group I belong to on FB. It’s a general group where anyone can bring up bartender related topics. Recently there has been an increase in posts where a bartender posts about a patron or industry person that has shown systematic and repeated intentions or actual attempt to sexually assault staff or other patrons. They pretty quickly are doxed. People at others bars are quick to ban the person.
After time some people raised the concern that there are no checks and balances on these posts. And some of them could be for malicious purposes. But these same people acknowledge the importance of listening to sexual assault victims. And also agree that if you ban someone for being a sexual predator and say nothing that isn’t right either.
Everyone involved in the conversation seemed to appreciate both that a person is not guilty just based on hearsay but also that we must do everything we can to protect people from sexual assault. Of course some fell more into the innocent until proven guilty and other more onto the protection at any cost side of the spectrum.
Most everyone in this group personally knows each other. So each person can to some extent personally gauge the validity of a particular post. This Patronscan product sounds to take the problems this group was struggling with and turn them into “features”.
I don’t FB anymore so I don’t know if the group ever came to a consensus. I will say, knowing a fair number of industry people, that bars are far more dangerous, regardless of how expensive the drinks are, than most people realize. Every city has predators that work the bars like a full time job. They are looking for you on that one night when life sucks and you say fuck it and drink like nothing matters. I don’t have all the answers but listening to your instincts and sticking with people you can trust while you rage against a shitty day is a start but sadly not always enough. Be safe.
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So bars have a choice to use it in BC?
My quick scan through this article gave me the impression that the lobbying in Sacramento was necessary to force businesses to use it. Otherwise why would a business implement this and risk customers leaving for the simple fact that they dont want to have their data shared and judged.
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I need to give you my ID to allow you to allow me into your bar? Moreover, you want to scan it to some 3rd party? Fuck off. Bars are a dime a dozen, and, besides that, home is far more comfortable anyway.
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The only place I’ve ever has scan my id is the local dispensary.
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It really pisses me off when they try this, and I don’t patronize places that do. The last thing I need is my name in a database of stoners.
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We have gang problems here and Granville Street is where they decided to pack all the bars in the late 90’s - for some reason. So one chain installed something like this and used it to keep out known gang members and anyone that was involved in a fight in the bar or that caused trouble outside. They just flagged you in the computer and it throws up an alert if you try to enter.
It’s in no way mandatory and is only at the big name bars. And might not even be legal:
Yelp is on it though: https://www.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=no+id+bars&find_loc=Vancouver%2C+BC
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Sometimes you want to go
Where everyone knows your name…
(Theme from ‘Cheers’).
Of course, you may not know their names, and you get banned if you do not tip enough, or give the place five stars in the review.
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A couple of weeks ago I went to a restaurant where I made the reservation by phone and never gave them an email address. When I got home I had email from a company I’d never heard of with a copy of my dining receipt (unrequested). The email address they used is not in any way connected to the credit card I used.
I complained, because I think without complaining some of these companies might not even know they did anything someone might consider offensive, but it seems to be too late to reign in Big Brother.
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