statism watch

Incredible – it’s explicitly admitted in this article that ID cards from across North America are compatible now. The elite are moving rapidly against the people – we’re on our way to a global identity database – and that’s a pilot program, right here in British Columbia!

Flashback: Australian nightclub installs face-scanning security system | Alberta bars could collect names, photos under proposed bill | Let’s face it, soon Big Brother will have no trouble recognising you | Police will use new device to take fingerprints in street, vendors say face scanning next | Interpol wants facial recognition database to catch suspects | ‘Pre-crime’ detector shows promise | Alberta privacy commission to rule on bar scans

Katie Derosa, Times Colonist
July 9, 2009

You can’t get in unless you submit card; B.C. investigating program

Nine of Victoria’s most popular bars are capturing data from patrons’ ID cards and taking their photos as part of a new program still under investigation by B.C.’s privacy watchdog.

Bar Watch, officially implemented yesterday, will blacklist problem patrons by keeping track of whether they have been kicked out of another bar that night, caused a fight, or have gang ties. Thirteen bars have signed on to the program but not all are using the swiping database.

As patrons enter a bar, they’ll have their ID cards swiped through a data reader and their photos taken. If a person causes trouble in the bar, an “alert” will be placed on their file, which will show up when that person tries to enter another participating bar, said Owen Cameron, who created the database. The alert can last from 24 hours to a year, depending on the incident, said Cameron, president of B.C.-based TreoScope Technologies.

The card readers will accept driver’s licences and ID cards from around North America. [Ed Note: RED FLAG!]

Although Bar Watch was backed by Victoria city council in October 2008 to curb late-night fights, loud noise, vandalism and public urination linked to drunk and rowdy bar-goers, it doesn’t have the go-ahead from B.C. privacy commissioner David Loukidelis.

He is investigating whether electronically collecting and retaining information from someone’s driver’s licence violates privacy law. A spokesman said Loukidelis cannot comment until he makes his decision, which should be in the next few weeks.

However, Alberta’s privacy commissioner, Frank Work, has ruled that scanning licences is a privacy violation — and that decision was upheld by a provincial court in March. In June, the Alberta government passed legislation that offers a compromise: bars can take the person’s name and age and take their photo, but not scan their ID.

In addition to privacy concerns, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association is worried the information from thousands of scanned driver’s licences could be misused for fraud or identity theft, said Michael Vonn, policy director for the association.

Cameron said only the person’s name, age, driver’s licence number and the licence expiry date are recorded in the system, not their address or other personal information stored on the cards. The information encoded and can be accessed only by police through TreoScope.

Scott Gurney, spokesman for the Victoria Bar and Cabaret Association, said he expects some patrons to be reluctant to offer their information.

“We definitely expect privacy to be a concern,” he said, and suggested those who don’t want their ID swiped don’t have to come in the bar. [Ed. Note: That's how it's going to be. Want to drink? Buy? Sell? You're going to have this shoved down your throats unless you boycott it.]

Victoria police are optimistic the program will discourage people from causing trouble in or outside bars. “You will no longer be able to hide behind the veil of anonymity and you will be caught,” said downtown community resource officer Const. Lori Beauvais.

She said a similar Vancouver program has reduced problems at that city’s bars.

13 bars have signed on to the Bar Watch program in Victoria

Bars swiping IDs
Element Nightclub
Lucky Bar
Barcode Nightclub
Upstairs Cabaret
Plan B Nightclub
Evolution Nightclub
Soprano’s Karaoke and Sports Bar
Social Club
Touch Nightclub

Bars that are participating in Bar Watch but not swiping IDs
Darcy’s Pub
Smith’s Bar and Restaurant
Bard and Banker Public House
Irish Times Pub

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