CafeChatNoir

This report out of NYC (via gothamist) makes my skin crawl just a little:

License ID scanners aren’t just keeping underage drinkers out of New York bars, they’re now assisting police in arresting patrons who become involved in criminal activity both inside and outside of city clubs. The New York Post reports that the electronic scanners which help filter out fake IDs also supply cops with detailed records of every patron who entered a bar or club on any given evening.

I’m sure the scanners are a boon to club owners as far as keeping the underage ones out and keeping themselves out of trouble. But why do they have to store all the information in the first place? I’d love to know who decided “Hey, let’s add this ‘feature’ on to the scanners.” If I were a club owner, I can’t say that it’s something I would request - just give me something to help weed out the fake ID’s.

Not everyone wants the world to know where they go and what they do. And they’re not criminals, either.

Have we crossed the line between making investigations easier to just making it easier for the police to trample on the rights of people who simply went to a bar where something went wrong later in the night?

I’d love to see some reports as to how often these lists are obtained by the police, and what circumstances prompted them to get them.