Home / Crime and Justice / ID Scan Flags Woman as Safety Concern Nationwide
ID Scan Flags Woman as Safety Concern Nationwide
24 Aug
Summary
- Woman flagged by ID scanner, banned from venues in another province.
- Flagged as a 'public safety concern' for leaving a washroom.
- Privacy experts question data use and transparency in ID scanning.
A woman was flagged as a nationwide public safety concern by an ID scanning system, preventing her entry into a Calgary venue. The incident began on June 6, when Alexandra, a Montreal-based lawyer, had her driver's license scanned at Winnipeg's Riverside bar.
Later, on July 9, Alexandra was denied entry to a Calgary Stampede venue due to a flag on her ID. The scanner indicated she was a 'public safety concern' for allegedly refusing to leave a men's washroom in Winnipeg.
This flag, visible to other Patronscan venues across North America, reveals significant data-sharing concerns. The Winnipeg bar later admitted the flag was an administrative error and removed it, stating it should have been internal.
Privacy experts caution that individuals must question the necessity and scope of ID scanning. Laws require meaningful notification about data collection, use, and disclosure purposes, ensuring transparency and appropriateness.
Patronscan states it collects data for age verification, deleting records within 21 days in Manitoba if no incident occurs. However, flags for incidents, especially serious ones, can be recorded and shared network-wide, raising concerns about the system's transparency and potential for misuse.
