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Tell Us: Does the swiping technology alarm you?

(WHAS11) - How much do you know about the businesses you go to?  Odds are, you probably don’t know much, but they may know a lot about you.

It’s all because of new technology that allows bars, restaurants, casinos and other entertainment venues to collect your personal information without your knowledge.

WHAS11’s Melanie Kahn was at Fourth Street Live on Thursday night, showing us how businesses are doing this.

It’s called “swiping.”

And it’s all made possible with id scanners.  Some that are even small enough to hold in your hand.  Many are able to read everything on your driver’s license.  Some businesses in Louisville have started using this type of technology recently.

So we found out just how these scanners work and how much information you could be giving to these places without knowing it.

Thousands of people pass through Fourth Street Live every week.  On most nights, security guards at the street’s entrance do a visual check of someone’s driver’s license to verify age, but on most Friday and Saturday nights, the method changes.

On these nights, security guards use hand-held scanners.

Melanie Kahn asked the public, “Do you know what information they scanned?”  One Fourth Street Live customer said, “I’m sure it’s date of birth, or probably date of birth, heck, I don’t know.”

How about everything that’s on the front of your driver’s license… name, address, birth date, height, weight, hair color, eye color, gender, picture, and in some cases, your signature!  It all comes off a strip, called a 2d barcode, on the back of your license.  And it only takes one quick swipe to read everything contained in that barcode.

Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center says, “Of course it’s a privacy problem, because it’s not supposed to be generally available to people.”  It’s an issue Rotenberg has been fighting for years.

Rotenberg says, “What’s beginning to happen is that the bars are actually taking the license from the person, swiping them through a card reader then, collecting the information that’s on the card; that shouldn’t happen.”

But the businesses that use and sell this technology disagree.  They all highlight the benefits of security, accuracy, speed, and in some cases, the ability to catch criminals who have stolen someone’s identity. 

Although officials at Fourth Street Live didn’t want to speak to us on-camera about their scanners, they did email us this statement, “The information captured by the scanner is used internally to evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.”  Which means, they are storing the information they are scanning.

But Fourth Street Live isn’t the only place using this type of technology.  Thornton’s Gas Station also uses id scanners when people buy cigarettes, alcohol, or any other age restricted items.  But they only use the scanners to verify age.

Tony Harris, Thornton’s Vice-President of Operations says, “In our case, it’s simple speed of service, so we’re not storing any information about the consumer.”

So how do customers feel about all this?

Beth Dougins, another Fourth Street Live customer says, “They’re just doing their job.”

According to the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, it is perfectly legal for bars to scan, extract and store information from people’s licenses; Just as long as the business doesn’t sell any of that information.

Marc Rotenberg says, “The more information others have about you, the easier it is for them to impersonate you and so one of the things we say from a privacy perspective is that’s it better to limit who has access to this personal information.”

Both Fourth Street Live and Thornton’s say that a customer does have the right to ask not to have their id scanned.  In those cases the security guard or sales associate will do a visual check to verify age.

Tell Us: Does the swiping technology alarm you?

The site www.whas11.com is amazing site, good job, admin.

Why do they have to 'scan' your ID? Can they not just verify it by looking at it?

I am concerned with identity theft. There is absolutely no need for these businesses to know anything more than your birthdate if you are purchasing tobacco or trying to enter a bar establishment. They claim this info is not sold, but how do you verify the honesty of every employee? You cannot. I never give any personal info. Protect your rights and refuse. I had a good friend get her identity stolen 2 years ago and is still having hits on her credit. I also know of a former friend who stole people's credit card info (he was a waiter) and used it personally and was indicted for it. You can never be too careful

IN MY CASE MY ID ISN'T ABLE TO SCANNED BUT WHY CAN'T THE PEOPLE SCANNING THE ID'S JUST USE SIMPLE MATH OR THE LABLE ON THE ID'S THAT SAY HOW OLD YOU ARE TO DO THESE THINGS (BUY ALCOHOL, TOBACCO.)? ONCE AGAIN IT'S COMPUTERS DOING THE JOB THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

big brother here we come

Since criminal elements are in every fasset of life...I concern as to who gets access to information that also is interpretated to those who work under law to control those who stand firm against intolerance and justice...for justice also has involved the criminal intent to hold powers beyond the normal due to political schemes...

These People Have No Right To Any Personal Info

This is yet another Worry on the people in public. Technology is advancing far to fast. We are getting too smart too fast and its not in our best interest.

Why should they have this info? It's none of their business, except to verify my age and they can do that by looking at me.

I ALWAYS USE COLD HARD 100 PERCENT AMERICAN USDA CASH MONEY FOR ALL MY PURCHASES OF ALCOHOL. I ALSO USE CASH AT THE TACO BELL BECAUSE THEY IS JUST SOMETHING I DON'T COTTON TO ABOUT THEM. ONE TIME I HAD THIS CRUNCHY GORDITA WRAP AND I THINK THEY PUTTED ON THE EXTRY HOT SAUCE INSTEAD OF THE MILD, WHICH IS HOW I LIKE IT. ALSO, GO CATS!!1!!!

If I get so drunk I do something embarrassing, I don't want the bar to know who I am.

Taking anything from another person without their "expressed" approval is stealing. Refuse and ask for the mananger if she/he does nothonor your rights, leave or use your cell phone to make an official complaint. Others can take from us only those things we do not protect. The ballis in OUR COURT.

Mission Creep

To the individual that wrote its "Libertarian BS"
check out lp.org and take the world's smallest political quiz. The LP does not and would never support the violation of our rights to privacy.

We've had this problem here in AZ for a while. The more alarming notion is several gas stations in the area will swipe the card and the machine automatically prints your info out! Thus making a hard copy. Personally, I dont "mind" so much that a business is swiping for verification, I DO mind greatly when they are storing information and or printing it. Where are those papers, what happens to them when they're done? If credit card reciepts of the past are any indication they're probably just throwing them out with the morning trash. Very bad news for the customer - excellent news if you're an identitity thief.

More libertarian bs. They think they have the right to know who you are so they can market crap to you. This does violate our privacy and should not be allowed. If some are doing it to verify age, I don't buy it.

why do they need any more information other than you are old enough to buy cigarettes, or alcohol?

"...if we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves.."
RFID chips will be coming soon to a state near you

I asked one bar exactly what information they were collecting, and they lied and said that all they can tell is whether the ID is real.

It's not just bars. Here in Ca. Safeway has been doing it for years if you want to write a check. I no longer write checks at Safeway. (grocery store)