Restaurants and Bars
We're naming-and-shaming restaurants, bars and music venues that force people to have their ID scanned into huge surveillance databases operated by companies like Patronscan. This sort of thing is most common for alcohol-serving venues that are open late or 24 hours. Check this list before you head out somewhere, though be cautious since places that do scan IDs might not be listed here yet!
If you spot this, take photos to use as a reference!
London
- VQ (Bloomsbury, Chelsea)
- Outernet / The Lower Third (next to Tottenham Court Road) - they have signs saying they scan IDs at the door, though they did not on the occasion that I went there.
Brighton
Brighton and Hove City Council and the area's police force are known to be coercing almost all nightclubs into scanning IDs.
- Molly Malone's - forced onto them by Brighton and Hove City Council, tried to have overturned in court but was unsuccessful.
From speaking to people who live in the area, there are almost no remaining late-night clubs that have avoided being forced to use ID scanners. However, this does not seem to be common at normal music venues, so if you're going somewhere like the Hope and Ruin, then you're probably safe.
See also
- "Data", a video by Philosophy Tube about ID scanners