Metro Fingerprinting Raises Fears of Privacy

By Sarah Quinton

May 26, 2006

A big night out in Fremantle may now involve having your fingerprint scanned along with your driver’s license or passport.

However, concerns have been raised that the scans may breach civil liberties or even end up in the wrong hands.

Metropolis nightclub is the first in WA to introduce the Biometric fingerprint scanning system called Night Key to replace the manual ID checks usually performed by security guards.

In an attempt to speed up entry into the nightclub has created a database of every patron’s driver’s license including addresses, date of birth and photograph, according to Manager Mario Madaffari.
 
Once the license details are scanned into the database patrons are then invited to have their fingerprint scanned for quicker entry.

“The fingerprinting system is voluntary but the scanning of photographic identification is not, if you refuse to show your ID we can refuse you entry to the club,” he said.

“We have introduced the system for security reasons in order to identify people on the premises, if we choose to bar them from ever coming in again.”

However, Human Rights Law Reform Campaigner Brian Tennant believes this is an encroachment of human rights and the nightclubs are going overboard.

“These amateur nightclubs are not a professional police organisation,” he said.

“Scanning photographic identification into a database is bad enough, but fingerprinting is close to abuse. It doesn’t matter what they use it for, it is the job for police.”

Night Key developer Simon Hubble said there were a lot of measures put in place to ensure no unauthorised entry into the system was possible.

“Once the fingerprint is scanned the information is turned into a binary code,” he said.

“This is an automatic function and cannot be reversed, so we do not hold the fingerprint on file, only the information related to that code. Only authorised people have access to the system and entry into the system is audited.”

Mr Hubble finds the system very effective for stopping underage patrons entering the club on false identification.

Nightclub regular Asha Dyson believes this makes her feel like a criminal and affects her mood upon entry.

“I feel like its invading my privacy because I have not done anything wrong,” she said.”

“I feel I’m suspected of misbehaving before even entering the premises. I can understand it is a security device but I do think they need to take into consideration people’s rights to provide such personal information which is normally the responsibility of the police. When you haven’t broken the law it just seems uncalled for.”

Senior Constable Jason O’Keefe believes the system is beneficial for in identifying offenders within the club and assists police in stopping crime and identifying criminals.

“If there is an offence at Metropolis, the management can provide us with information of the offender,” he said.

“Once we have the footage on CCTV, we can match up the details from the scanned driver’s license and identify the persons involved. I think it’s a very good system, it will go worldwide.”

Mr Madaffari said that all measures were taken to abide by the Privacy Act and legally the club is able to compile their own database of regular patrons to alert them of upcoming events.

“Patrons can take their details off the system anytime they like and if they don’t feel comfortable giving over their details, they don’t have to come in,” he said.

But, Mr Tennant believes there is a lot of potential for the system to be abused.

“These are uncharted waters and there is no guarantee that the information will not be misused,” he said.

More nightclubs are in negotiations to introduce the new system but Mr Madaffari was not at liberty to say which ones.