RamRage

The story of my fight for the good of the planet and all on it...

Thursday, May 21, 2009

'If your name, D.O.B, address and biometric data isn't on the database, you cannot come in

We have all been asked if we have identification on us at the door of a pub, or a club, sometimes we get asked at the bar for it. It raises fear in the underage drinker of course, but now there is a new fear for me.

It is the CLUBSCAN system. The 2003 Licensing Act means that venues have to ensure they are not selling alcohol to those under the legal drinking age. However, what CLUBSCAN does is subtly different.

When you are asked for your ID at the door, your ID is scanned into a machine, which records the data on it. If your ID shows you are underage you will be denied entry, if the database flags that you have been barred from the venue you will be denied entry. Your data will then be held by the club for up to 3 years after your night out and this data can obviously be used for highly invasive publicity but more importantly be requested by the Police to aid them in fighting crime.

All this information is all on the FAQ for the system.

The only saving grace is that allowing your ID to be scanned into the database is VOLUNTARY, but seriously how many people will be turned away from a club because of this and how many more will be too scared of THE MAN to refuse? The Clubscan system boasts the ability to:

* Read 223 different ID formats in under 2 seconds
* Immediately alerts to under-age and banned customers
* Share your banned customers with other venues automatically
* Complete police and local authority co-operation
* Builds an accurate and precise database
* Creates SIA doorman nightly report
* Photo gallery of customers
* Graphic demographic reports
* Average age
* Male female ratios
* 700 + scans per hour will not hold up your queue
* Amazing marketing tool
* Automatically produces Avery address labels
* Saves money and your license
* Customer frequency report

(from www.firetop.co.uk)

There are several nightmarish scenarios I and others can conjur up from this system. Firstly you go out for a drink end up going to a club, your ID is scanned and an incident occurs which you weren't involved in, however your name is transferred to the Police as being present, this could result in being barred from the venue, charges gbeing filed and so on, all on a case of mistaken identity. Even simpler than that is that a file is built up on the venues you frequent in the central database the Government so badly wants with only the tiniest, drunken consent from yourself. So while the clubscan system is impartial, those who use it are not. Having scanned your ID, the bouncer could call his mates who go and rob your home, knowing it to be empty. I admit these examples are extreme, but why should a Club be allowed to hold information on me for up to 3 years and invade my privacy with marketing? If I have signed up to this I wouldn't mind because then I have a genuine interest but all the bullet points above say to me is a totalitarian state.

Now, I am sure some of you are thinking, 'this is old news, this system came over to the UK from the US in 2005 and although it is not widespread why are you bringing it up now?'. I bring it up because a venue I frequent has emailed me to say they now REQUIRE photo ID for entrance and it is not mentioned ANYWHERE in the email that one can opt out. It is however mentioned that a photocopy of ID is accepted as long as the machine can scan it, making ID fraud even easier! Thus making the entire thing a waste of time! It's an ID-THEFT-A-GO-GO!

I can see how this is supposed to aid in security and help venues keep their licenses but like everything in the database state, it is so widely open to abuse and when put into practice falls on its photocopied face, just like ID cards will should they ever come into practice.