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Third S.F. Gay Bar Pauses Patron Photo Scans Amid Boycott
Badlands and Toad Hall will keep checking IDs manually while they review the system, after a boycott petition drew more than 2,000 signatures.
- On Saturday, Badlands and Toad Hall, San Francisco bars in the Castro District, paused their use of PatronScan following community backlash over surveillance of LGBTQ+ patrons.
- Digital rights group Fight for the Future launched a petition calling on Castro District venues to remove the AI-assisted technology, arguing data collection could endanger vulnerable communities.
- PatronScan VP of People & Operations Rhiannon Mosoronchon defended the system, stating it does not use facial recognition and that data is deleted after 21 days under California law.
- While Badlands and Toad Hall returned to manual ID checks, The Mix bar continues using the technology, prompting activists to maintain their boycott campaign.
- Evan Greer, digital director of Fight for the Future, argued venues should redirect resources toward staffing rather than surveillance technology. "It's important that we don't frame this as some kind of philosophical debate between privacy and safety," Greer said.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA––The Mix Bar becomes the next to hit "pause" on face scanning
Earlier today, the Bay Area Reporter reported that The Mix Bar is following the steps of Badlands and Toad Hall, in hitting “pause” on face scanning. The bar will deactivate its live camera function, but will continue to use PatronScan to verify official IDs. The Mix Bar’s reversal comes after several prominent Bay Area artists […]
San Francisco Gay Bars Pause ID Scanning After Privacy Backlash
Badlands and Toad Hall paused the system, which photographs patrons and stores their data, while The Mix says it will continue using it. The post San Francisco Gay Bars Pause ID Scanning After Privacy Backlash appeared first on Metro Weekly.
·Washington, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources23
Leaning Left13Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution72% Left
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources lean Left
72% Left
L 72%
C 17%
11%
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