Rumors

They took a hidden camera (looked like it was in a ball cap) and went into a 7-11 in Indianapolis. He went to buy a pack of cigarettes, and the cashier at the counter asked him for his ID. Then, without saying a word, she took a handheld scanner and scanned the barcode on the back of his driver’s license. When he asks the casheir why he’s scanning his ID, he says “We have to.”

The reporter says, “I don’t want it if you’re going to scan my ID like that.

I mean, that’s all the information in my license…” And the other woman behind the counter says “It’s only your birthday.”

Right.

Only your birthday shows up on the little monitor on the scanner itself. Those scanners don’t read one little piece of info off of that barcode, they have to take all of the information and decide what needs to be displayed. They go on to say that there are no signs warning people of this practice, and the cashiers are told they scan or they don’t sell, and if they do they’ll be fired.

They contacted someone at 7-11. He said they check everyone’s IDs. He also said that while social security numbers are not picked up by these scanners, names and addresses were indeed stored in the database. Next, they contact the CEO of Indiana’s Convenience Store Industry Association, who said he had no idea that they were doing this, and he could understand the concern of law abiding citizens.

Personally, I don’t like the idea that someone can track where I buy cigarettes, not only by my driver’s license number, but also my
address, birthdate, or any other piece of information. My birthdate is clearly marked on the front of my driver’s license, and there is no need for them to go beyond visual verification. If that’s not satisfactory, they won’t have my business. They say they don’t sell
their information, but who knows what they actually do with it.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s just too much. This, inconjunction with the Real ID post from just a couple of days ago, makes me very afraid. Who has the right to have to have this information?

LadyPhoenix

–Update–
I’ve done some research, and here are links to other articles about Driver’s Liicense Barcode Scanning

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/04/04-09-03tdc/04-09-03dnews-08.asp

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,62182,00.html

http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/april3_1_98.html