Edmonton man sounds alarm after ID scanned while buying cigarettes

An Edmonton man is raising concerns about privacy rights after his ID was scanned while buying cigarettes.

Nick Radloff said he was asked for IDlast Thursday at anEssoStation at 178th Streetand Stony Plain Road. The station is owned by 7-Eleven.

"She just automatically scanned it into her system," said Radloff, 35. "I said, 'Excuse me. What you are doing?' "

The clerk told him all IDs must be scanned to verify they're legal and valid,Radloffsaid.

Radloff followed up with the regional manager, who emailed him the directive from head office.

The directivestates that the store's ID scanners donot collect personal information that could identify the customer.

Insteadthe scanners "read only anonymous information (expiry date, province, date of birth, and only the last four digits of a driver's licence)."

Regional manager AnsRamdasswrote, "if you do not want your ID or driver's licence scanned, our sales associates have been instructed to respect your decision."

Radloff said the clerk never asked him for his permission.

"You have to have my consent," he said. "That's my right as a Canadian citizen. And when I exercise my right I should be respected with that."

Use of personal data

7-Eleven's policy was implemented on April 24 across their 650 stores. In a statement to CBC News Saturday 7-Elevensaid the policy was put in place "to further reduce the risk that tobacco products would be sold to minors."

"7-Eleven respects the privacy of its customers, which is why not personally identifiable information is retained upon ID scanning," the statement said.

But Radloffquestions whether his personal information that was collected is safe pointing to identity theft, hacking of major systemsand the sale of personal data.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta has looked into a number of such complaints over the pastdecade, said spokesperson ScottSibbald.

He pointed to a 2005 investigation that deemed it unreasonablefor Canadian Tire to scan driver'slicence data to prevent fraudduring returns. As aresult,Canadian Tire changed itspolicy across Canada, Sibbaldsaid.

Similarly, an order in 2008 resulted in rules limitingthe collection of data by liquor establishments.

• Club ID scans not 'reasonable,' says Alberta privacy commissioner

Radloff said he is in the process of filing a complaint with the privacy commissioner but hopes speaking out in the meantime will serve as a warning for others.

"It's up to us," he said. "Corporations can't just tell us, 'We're taking your personal information.'

"These are very private, sensitive matters."