Convenience store giant 7-Eleven criticized over ID-scanning policy | 24CA News

A comfort retailer big is dealing with rising criticism in Alberta over its identification-scanning coverage for sure objects.

Quite a lot of 7-Eleven’s clients have reached out to Global News with considerations over having handy over their authorities ID to be scanned to be able to purchase sure objects.

Carl Spenard stated he was stunned to be requested for his driver’s licence when just lately shopping for lottery tickets.

“I was astounded,” he stated. “She was like: ‘I have to scan your ID,’ that it was mandatory, and that everybody gets scanned.”

Spenard stated he requested why it was necessary, however was not given a solution apart from that it was “policy.”

“They said it was new policy for lottery tickets and cigarettes. I basically said: ‘I don’t understand this. You can look at my ID and see that I’m over 18 (years of age).’”

7-Eleven does have the coverage posted on the inside and outside of a few of its comfort shops. It really began scanning government-issued IDs a number of years in the past at varied places for adult-only purchases.

But Spenard stated he’s by no means needed to scan his ID earlier than; he’s solely proven it to the clerk. His largest concern is knowledge breaches and his private info moving into the fallacious palms.

“Anytime you scan government ID, it’s just always leery to me,” he stated. “There’s always data breaches. It’s happened in the past.”

Cyber safety skilled and University of Calgary professor Tom Keenan agreed. Keenan informed Global News even the most effective corporations can fall sufferer to breaches.

“Companies don’t always have very good control,” he identified. “What if some employee makes a mistake? If it’s mishandled? That’s a problem.”

Keenan stated corporations have a proper to ask for private info and to ask that ID be proven, however he added the scanning of that ID isn’t mandatory and corporations shouldn’t have it — even when they don’t plan on retaining it.

“If they’re just throwing it away, if it’s just happening on the spot, that’s fine. But you always have to worry because things can go wrong.”

Global News reached out to 7-Eleven for a response to those considerations, however the firm didn’t reply by the point this text was revealed. It did nevertheless ship Spenard an e-mail addressing his considerations.

In the e-mail, obtained by Global News, a 7-Eleven spokesperson informed him that the scanning isn’t necessary and clerks produce other choices. He was additionally informed to not fear concerning the knowledge collected as “information is not held at store level.”

Finally, as to why it was scanning within the first place, 7-Eleven informed him “the Alberta government is conducting regulated tobacco shops in our stores, and since stores have the scan capabilities, they’re (sic) recommendations is to utilize this procedures (sic).”

Global News requested the provincial authorities physique accountable for gaming and liquor in Alberta if it did certainly suggest this to 7-Eleven, however a spokesperson for AGLC stated it was “not involved with this initiative.”

“AGLC’s policy does require retailers to obtain valid identification and proof of age when a person appears to be under 25 years old, but does not outline how a retailer checks ID, only that it must,” the assertion learn.

It additionally steered any Albertan with considerations contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.

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