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The rise of ID/face scanning to access bars & clubs (web.archive.org)

submitted 1 week ago by freedickpics@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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TL;DR

ID scanning is becoming a more common requirement to access bars and clubs in Australia (and worldwide). A company called ScanTek is used in over 1,000 clubs in Aus and provides tools such as biometric-matching someone's face to an ID, detecting fake IDs, flagging people and sharing data with other venues automatically

As well as verifying ages, ScanTek boasts "collect marketing information from IDs and drivers licences, which business owners can use to target specific demographics with promotions" on its website in a pitch to business owners. Though they claim to not share any of this with third parties

Australia's privacy laws are vague, don't specify what can be collected and how it must be stored, and only say that companies shouldn't keep data for longer than is "reasonable"

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[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago

In my state, they haven't had me come in to update my photo in nearly 10 years. I have both lost and then gained weight in that time, I have been balding, my hair is graying, and I have to wear glasses at all times while my photo doesn't have me in glasses. I have never had a passport and have only now been looking into getting one considering apparently a Real ID just isn't enough proof for citizenship apparently.

I can't imagine that the old blurry photo on my license would easily be matched to my current face. Seems like it would be easier for a human to make that determination.

[-] errer@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

I think it’s more that a company now knows you attended that bar, and everything about you listed on your license. I went to a bar a few days ago and they scanned my ID with some mystery app, undoubtedly selling that info to someone.

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago

For sure, but it's also silly that it's probably not great at what it does. So we're sacrificing our privacy for something a human could do well enough on their own being replaced by something that might actually be even worse at being accurate.

this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2026

222 points (99.6% liked)

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