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The practice of scanning drivers licenses is a violation of the privacy act.

Tantra nightclub in Calgary ordered to stop and destroy all records.  Club owners listen up.

If you’ve been to one of the hot clubs on Whyte Avenue you’re familiar with this scene.  The doorman asks for your ID and before you know it you see your drivers license being plopped into a scanner.  Not only is it a bad idea, it’s also against the law according to a ruling by Alberta’s privacy commissioner.

Following a yearlong investigation privacy commissioner Frank Work has ruled the practice violates numerous sections of the Personal Information Protection Act.  Information contained on your driver’s license can be a goldmine for identity thieves and cause untold grief if it falls into the wrong hands.  Work says there’s no justification for collecting this information and placing clients at such considerable risk.

As this was a test case of the legislation Penny Lane Entertainment which owns Tantra Nightclub, escaped serious fines for indulging in the practice.  Clubs which continue in violation of the law will not be as fortunate.  They face fines of up to one hundred thousand dollars.  If your license has been scanned recently you can complain in writing to:

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
AMEC Place
2460-801 – 6th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 3W2

PDF of Tantra nightclub ruling

Fines for violation of the act

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