Cooper's ID protection legislation signed into law, prohibits storage, sharing personal information

September 20, 2018 |  

Legislation that was passed with the intention of adding an extra layer of protection for consumers, was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

That legislation, Assembly Bill 2769, was authored by Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D - Elk Grove). The bill will expand personal privacy protections when an individual’s driver’s license or identification card (ID) is scanned.

“Bars and nightclubs have become very insistent on scanning peoples IDs and patrons have expressed concerns with this technique and feel that it’s an invasion of their privacy,” Cooper said. “Data breaches are rising in frequency and controlling who has access to our data is of the utmost importance. AB 2769 will ensure that when a patrons ID is scanned or swiped, that no data will be collected.”

Current law applies personal privacy protections when a business swipes an individual’s ID or driver’s license, but not when the ID or driver’s license is scanned. New technology allows businesses the ability to quickly scan an ID or driver’s license and lift and retain several pieces of personal information.

Presently, some establishments and ID scanning technology companies are storing data; including name, date of birth, zip code and other personal information for up to 90 days. AB 2769 will prohibit bars and nightclubs from collecting, retaining, or sharing any information from a person’s identification.

AB 2769 will take effect on January 1, 2019.