News Article: October 30, 2007
Nightclub security system wins backing of downtown bar owners
Business in Vancouver
October 30, 2007
Curt Cherewayko
A ruling in coming months by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
(OIPC) could impact the way B.C. bar owners collect personal information from their patrons.
Owen Cameron, founder of Vancouver-based TreoScope Technologies, isn’t concerned about the commissioner’s ruling. His company’s security system is used
in 86% of nightclubs in Metro Vancouver.
“B.C. is a market, but it’s only a very small piece of a very big market,” said Cameron. “B.C. was our testing zone; our market is North America.”
The commissioner’s investigation was instigated by a complaint from a patron at a south Granville bar, who took exception to the collecting of his personal information on one of TreoScope’s systems. Cameron counts B.C. as a North American leader when it comes to protecting the privacy rights of the individual.
TreoScope, therefore, will use the commissioner’s ruling as a yardstick for the kind of friction the company may encounter as it expands into other markets in Canada
and the United States.
“In the U.S. it’s much, much easier for us to do what we’re doing,” said Cameron.
When in use, the EnterSafe security system takes a photo of each patron and pairs it with the patron’s personal information that is scanned from their driver’s licence.
The information, such as the date of birth and licence number, is then stored in a stand-alone computer system that is inaccessible to bar owners. Treoscope can only gain access to the information if a warrant is issued by police.
The Entersafe system is mandatory for every member of BarWatch, an organization of roughly 20 bars in Vancouver. Bar owners are given access to the patron’s photo, name and a calculated age. By attaching notes or flags to a patron’s profile, bar owners can create VIP lists or refuse entry to problem patrons.
Donnelly Nightclubs owns three nightclubs in Vancouver: BarNone, the Modern and Republic.The bars can network through the EnterSafe system to monitor flagged patrons as they move from bar to bar.
“It’s an effective system,” said Paul Stoilen, of Donnelly Nightclubs. “It’s a power in numbers thing, the more people that use the system, the better the nightclub climate
is.”
TreoScope is now developing security systems for use in other business such as retail, liquor and convenience stores. “Pretty much anything you’ve ever handed over your ID for, we could be there.”
Cameron said that the company worked hand in hand with the office of the privacy commissioner during the development of EnterSafe, a system that has decreased
violence in bars by up to 90%, according to TreoScope.
The commissioner’s findings could have implications for businesses that use EnterSafe or other security systems, said Mary Carlson, director of the OIPC.
“There are other systems out there that collect more information and use it for other types of purposes,” she said.
Carlson said that OIPC commissioner David Loukidelis could arrive at any number of
conclusions. She said that Louikidelis may conclude the EnterSafe system is acceptable in certain circumstances or that bar owners must modify the way EnterSafe is used.
cgc@biv.com