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Drivers License Swipes Raise Privacy Concerns
Clubs in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere are requiring patrons to give up their drivers licenses for a swipe through a card reader. Some bars do this too. The card reader displays their birth date and the establishments let it be assumed that the only purpose of the swipe is to check the customer's age. They rarely if ever disclose that the personal data stored on the license — the customer's name, address, license number, perhaps even height, weight, and eye color — go into a database and are retained, perhaps indefinitely. While a federal law forbids selling or sharing data from drivers licenses, there is no prohibition against collecting it. A few states have enacted such prohibitions — New Hampshire, Texas, and Nebraska. Privacy advocates warn that such personal data, once in a database, is bound to be misused. From the article: "'I don't see no problem,' said [a club-goer], 22. 'That happens every day on the Internet. Any hacker can get the information anyway.' [A Web media executive] said such reactions aren't surprising from a generation accustomed to sharing personal information on Web sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com. 'The kids don't care,' [he] said, 'because only old people like you and me suffer from the illusion of privacy these days.'"
And yet any national scheme to collate and attempt to secure this data is met with cries of Big Brother!
People sometimes *need* to know who you are, or *need* to know how old you are. Your employer *needs* to know who you are in order to complete their tax returns. In the UK as system called PAYE for loads of things (Student loans, NI contributions etc) relies on your employer knowing exactly who you are. Pubs and clubs *need* to know you are over a certain age, or they risk losing their licence and being prosecuted.
The easiest way to reduce the amount of data people require to positively identify you is, strangely enough, to lump it all together in a central database. That way pubs can have a simple thumbprint reader which sends a request to this database. All they need receive back is a "Yes" or "No" response, the database does the deciding if you're old enough to purchase alcohol. The pub never sees your address, SSN, DoB or anything similar.
If it makes you feel better, this system doesn't need to store any more information than is already known about you. It just makes it easier to search through. Of course, if you don't like people relying on knowing who you are then perhaps you would prefer a nation without any form of centralised government. I hear Somalia is doing quite well.
How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
somethings (like this) are not a problem to a individual but are detrimental to the society, thats were government/group action is required.
Right, and your group action is called Capitalism. You get enough people to leave, the bars that swipe cards (or don't dislose usage policies, whatever) will go out of business.
It is in societys intrest to encourage people to protect themselves.
Exactly. So do that, and if enough people don't care - then you're in the minority, and it sucks for you. Our society is NOT supposed to work by having minority dictate what the majority can and cannot do. Therefore, I say no to legislation. Let the market deal with it.
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
The problem with the "go somewhere else" attitude is manifold. What if there is nowhere else? example: only pharmacy in town and they won't sell you your prescription.
Anyone can play 'What if's. What if the only pharmacy in town is pissing off it's customers? You start a new one. Too lazy? Then deal with the one you have.
What if every provider of the service has the same requirements?Other than legislation, how else would they? I'm telling you to avoid legislating it.
What if you can't go somewhere else? example: single female bartender/waitress/etc. gets pregnant and needs work.
You mean like the homeless iron worker who sits outside McDonalds asking for money? I don't quite understand the example.
Trying the market forces excuse works for maintaining prices (if there isn't a monopoly/collusion). It does not work in situations like these
Sure it does, you would just prefer to tell everyone to do what you want them to through legislation.
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)