More and more clubs around town are now employing photo ID scanning systems, and there seems to be a growing concern about both their use and what happens to the data being harvested.
Personally, I loathe the idea of being forced to take out photo ID just for a night out, but of more pressing concern is what happens to the vast amounts of personal data being collected.
With different clubs often running different systems, it’s entirely possible than you may find your personal details being collected on to multiple databases, with no knowledge or control over what happens to that data.
As far as I can see the data is store for an indefinite period, and if you get banned from one venue, there’s a possibility that you may then automatically be banned from a wide range of clubs and venues covering an indeterminate area.
Please check out this article for more info and add your own comments: Concerns grow over the rise of compulsory ID scanning in venues.
Update 23rd April 2013: Club photo ID scanners, your information and the law – update
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I had been blacklisted from a nightclub outside of london due to a strange situation and i found myself refused entry into a nightclub within the city a week or two later, it seems there must be groups of establishments sharing the same system and database. I believe the readers decipher the text on the documents you provide and add them to the blacklist, I managed to side-step this control though when using a different type of acceptable proof another time and also used the original document in a different venue using a separate system and had no trouble there either. I am curious to know how long this restriction in venues will last before I can attend normally again.
I think they are a good idea, heaps of research has been done for ID scanners, I found a independent website http://www.idscannerinfo.com that has tips and info about the scanners. Worth a read I think.
Hardly say it’s an independent website…rather a site to promote your own product. Typical
Simply an information website, no promo 🙂