Am I Being Scanned?
Instead of showing your drivers license anymore, you can simply have it scanned by someone with a scan machine. The technology originally used on many devices, and most notably the EZPass (a driver’s mechanism that automatically pays when you go through tolls so you don’t have to stop) has been transferred to Identification cards, and is raising some eyebrows even though it is supposed to be there for convenience.
This technology actually collects data automatically from anyone in a bar setting, who is consuming alcohol. This scanner saves data such as phone numbers, drivers license numbers, names, photos, gender, and even the amount of alcohol consumed! Many bar users and privacy advocates alike have revolted against this technology; while it has good intentions, it presents a large hazard to the ones being scanned as they will then have so much sensitive and personal information floating around.
While this technology is being used in Vancouver and is disliked by the people, the privacy commissioner proposes to allow bars to use the technology, just with a couple of modifications. The commissioner asserts that the ID tag and information collection helps to find drunk drivers, and keeps tabs (no pun intended) on the frequent bar users of Vancouver. Also, without this ID tag, kids are much less likely to be able to try and get an illegal drink at a local bar, since they will not have been issued an ID yet. Forget about faking the ID either as is popular in youth culture; these futuristic super identification cards have a specialized bar code strip hidden on the back and many other safe guards to show that the card is real, and keep imposters from leaking through.
The court has demanded that the cards be stripped of the vehicle and drivers license numbers if they are to remain in use. He has given the privacy commissioner a viable amount of time to fix this issue before the cards become outlawed and blacklisted. The court also said that for privacy’s sake, the data couldn’t be kept for more than twenty four hours after first being entered. After the commissioner fought back against this, he won a small battle; regular drunks and recalcitrant individuals will be kept in the system and sent to other bars for pre-emptive measures to be taken.
It seems the information should be done and thrown away at this twenty four hour mark. This is perfect; if a person leaves the bar late at night and goes missing the following day, the investigation is already halfway solved, and you know they came from the bar. This will also help for frequent bar brawlers; by alerting other companies of these people, the next bar can keep a closer eye on the guy who the other bar has listed as a big fan of fisticuffs. These are all good ideas, but the commissioner has to be careful not to allow to much information to be taken, and these people’s privacy and anonymity to be compromised.
Will K. Says:
I always worry about my driver’s liscense being stolen. It is so nerve wracking that something that so much about me, and is used so much in real life is simply sitting in my wallet, pretty much waiting to be stolen. It always sits in my pocket in such a way where I can barely feel it either, and I would never realize it was stolen! A intangible ID would be even worse though! Especially if it can be stolen from nearly twenty feet away! This new type of ID seems to have many pragmatic purposes though, I mean it would be nice to not have to stop at a security check point or have to worry about having my card stolen out of my pocket. I do worry about it being scanned by a freelance hacker though. This is quite scary, how would I even know it was stolen until it was months later, much too late? I don’t think it is worth it; the bad outweighs the good here, and these new kinds of identification cards are much to risky.