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Licence scanning illegal: Privacy commissioner
The practice of scanning people’s driver’s licences before they’re allowed into bars and nightclubs is illegal, the province’s privacy commissioner ruled yesterday.
The Barwatch program, which is widely used in Vancouver, scans customers’ personal identification to keep out known gang members and criminals.
David Loukidelis ruled the program violates British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act after a patron at Wild Coyote on South West Marine Drive complained.
The man said he didn’t receive “a reasonable explanation for why his personal information was being collected.”
“I am well aware of, indeed share, public concern about gang violence,” Loukidelis said in his ruling.
He said he objected to the way personal information is being retained by bars and nightclubs. He “strongly encouraged” Barwatch to review — not abandon — its practices, to comply with the province’s Personal Information Protection Act.
www.metronews.ca/vancouver...mmissioner
The practice of scanning people’s driver’s licences before they’re allowed into bars and nightclubs is illegal, the province’s privacy commissioner ruled yesterday.
The Barwatch program, which is widely used in Vancouver, scans customers’ personal identification to keep out known gang members and criminals.
David Loukidelis ruled the program violates British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act after a patron at Wild Coyote on South West Marine Drive complained.
The man said he didn’t receive “a reasonable explanation for why his personal information was being collected.”
“I am well aware of, indeed share, public concern about gang violence,” Loukidelis said in his ruling.
He said he objected to the way personal information is being retained by bars and nightclubs. He “strongly encouraged” Barwatch to review — not abandon — its practices, to comply with the province’s Personal Information Protection Act.
www.metronews.ca/vancouver...mmissioner
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Re: Licence scanning illegal: Privacy commissioner
Thu, July 23, 2009 - 5:51 PMhmmm... i wonder how they will 'review' their practices.
i still think it's worth knowing which clubs use these scanners. there is a partial list about half way down the page at this link:
www.hackcanada.com/canadian...link.html
thanks for posting! -
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Re: Licence scanning illegal: Privacy commissioner
Fri, July 24, 2009 - 6:59 PMthanks x 2
for the post and the list. Last summer my friend tried to tell me I'd need 2 IDs, (I'm a foreigner) to go to a bar and that the bar would scan 'em.
Sounded crazy to me.
I'm happy to support bars that don't do it. The list (partial even) is appreciated.
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Re: Licence scanning illegal: Privacy commissioner
Wed, July 29, 2009 - 6:12 PMnew article from straight.com:
[Privacy Commissioner] David Loukidelis warns bars and nightclubs to obey privacy legislation
www.straight.com/article-2...egislation
partial cut and paste:
B.C.’s privacy czar has issued a warning to all bar and club owners that they should pay attention to a recent ruling involving the Wild Coyote nightclub in South Vancouver.
Earlier this week, Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis ordered the club’s owner, Cruz Ventures Ltd., to stop collecting information from scanned photo identification and to destroy any information it has retained from this activity.
Loukidelis also ordered a separate company, TreoScope, to eliminate its database of information collected from scanned photo identification from Wild Coyote customers.
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Individuals who violate the Personal Information and Privacy Act are liable to fines of up to $10,000, and companies can be fined up to $100,000.
In his ruling earlier this week, Loukidelis declared that the South Vancouver nightclub could not force customers to furnish photo identification to be scanned as a condition to enter the premises.
The Wild Coyote posted the following sign near the door: “Entering The Wild Coyote is considered permission to swipe your I.D. and take your picture. This is for security and identification purposes. Your information will not be shared or used for marketing purposes. Refusal to proper I.D. may result in denied entry.”
Loukidelis ruled that this violated section 7.2 of the Personal Information and Privacy Act—noting that the law doesn’t allow does the club to force patrons to go to this extent to gain admittance into the bar.
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