Privacy advocates are expressing concerns following an incident where a woman was flagged as a potential public safety risk at a Winnipeg bar, resulting in her being denied entry to a venue at the Calgary Stampede in July. Alexandra, a lawyer from Montreal, visited the Riverside bar in St. Vital on June 6, where her ID was scanned by a Patronscan system at the entrance without explanation. Little did she know that this routine scan would lead to a flag being raised against her, potentially barring her from establishments nationwide.
Feeling unwell during her visit to the Winnipeg bar, Alexandra excused herself to the restroom, only to be asked to leave shortly after by an employee. Despite leaving without any further incident, she was later surprised to discover that this minor episode had triggered a significant flag on her file, branding her a “public safety concern” with a “serious” severity level due to allegedly entering the men’s washroom and refusing to vacate the premises.
Subsequently, when Alexandra attempted entry to a Calgary Stampede venue on July 9, she was informed by the staff using a Patronscan scanner that she possessed a “criminal record,” an assertion she knew to be false. Repeated attempts the following day yielded the same result, prompting her to investigate further. She was shown the flag attached to her ID, revealing the concerning label that had originated from her Winnipeg bar visit.
It was later disclosed that the Winnipeg bar was part of Patronscan’s flag network, a system designed to notify other participating venues about potentially problematic individuals without the need for direct communication. Following Alexandra’s complaint, the Riverside bar acknowledged the error and promptly removed the external flag from her record, attributing it to an internal mistake.
This incident has raised questions about the transparency and appropriateness of data usage when ID scanning is involved. Experts emphasize the importance of individuals being informed about the collection and potential sharing of their personal information in such scenarios. Organizations are obligated under privacy laws to disclose the purpose of collecting personal data in a manner that is deemed appropriate by a reasonable person.
Addressing concerns about data sharing and privacy, Alexandra’s case underscores the need for greater awareness of how personal information is handled in scenarios involving ID scanning. The incident has sparked a conversation on the subjective nature of data sharing practices and the potential consequences of misinterpretations or errors in flagging individuals for public safety reasons.