Surveillance, San Francisco-Style

by on April 6, 2011 · 21 comments

San Francisco’s Entertainment Commission will soon be considering a jaw-dropping attack on privacy and free assembly. Here are some of the rules the Commission may adopt for any gathering of people expected to reach 100 or more:

3. All occupants of the premises shall be ID Scanned (including patrons, promoters, and performers, etc.). ID scanning data shall be maintained on a data storage system for no less than 15 days and shall be made available to local law enforcement upon request.
4. High visibility cameras shall be located at each entrance and exit point of the premises. Said cameras shall maintain a recorded data base for no less than fifteen (15 days) and made available to local law enforcement upon request.

Would you recognize a police state if you lived in one? How about a police city? The First Amendment right to peaceably assemble takes a big step back when your identity data and appearance are captured for law enforcement to use at whim simply because you showed up. (ht: PrivacyActivism.org)

SHARE: 21 comments
Jim Harper

Jim Harper / Jim is the Director of Information Policy Studies at The Cato Institute, the Editor of Web-based privacy think-tank Privacilla.org, and the Webmaster of WashingtonWatch.com. Prior to becoming a policy analyst, Jim served as counsel to committees in both the House and Senate.

  • http://floridians-against-real-id.myopenid.com/ Floridians_Against_REAL_ID

    Upon request? How about upon presentation of cause, i.e. via a subpoena or a warrant? That’s really a moot point anyway, since the concept indeed does violate our First Amendment rights. What if you have no ID? Would you then be barred from attending? This is really bad stuff.

  • http://unhub.com/drewt333 drewt333

    When you visit San Francisco forget the flowers – just make sure your papers are in order, citizen.

  • FedUP_119

    San Francisco allows citizenry to exercise 1st amendment as long as they sacrifice their privacy.

    +1 Kops | Keep pushing for the revolution.

  • Anonymous

    Yep. He’s watching you. Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.

  • http://twitter.com/_MAL3K_ Malek Bsat

    …and Big Brother strikes again.

  • Pinkopaque22

    I am in Complete agreement w/ Floridians_Against_REAL_ID. I live in SF and the ONLY thing I should need my ID at an event for is to purchase my beloved Fernet Shots! On a positive note, this will NOT pass through city hall, so NO worries.

  • Mermaid

    If you have no ID you can’t be in a bar or nightclub. However there is absolutely no good reason whatsoever for the draconian (and completely illegal) measures they are considering. Someone call the ACLU!

  • sigh

    What are they planning to do, raid private gatherings in private homes or property simply because they are “unapproved”?

    Maybe they should ask the Brits how that worked out.

  • Rich

    Scratch a leftist and you’ll find a fascist…

  • Citizen No.6

    Don’t have to be a leftist…. plenty of supposed “small government” righties could be facists as well!

  • John_Galt_Is_Gumby

    you guys are silly. if you click through to the page itself you’ll find it’s an SFPD proposal regarding safety regulations in nightclubs. the commission has not adopted it yet. if you really want to make a stink go to the hearing. as for “liberal fascism” anyone who’s ever lived in SF can tell you the SFPD are hardly liberal.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2XJ6HAWENJ6IGIXGXUOPH7UXFY errihu

    So you’re telling me that if there’s a wedding with over 100 people present, all of those wedding-goers will need ID’d? Even the babies, children, and Uncle Nick who’s never held an ID in his life? Right.

    Obviously the lawmakers didn’t think this one through all the way.

  • F. Lee Bailey

    You mean like those fascists from the RNC who imposed “free speech zones” during the convention in 2004?

  • ret1

    If this is what it has come to in California, then forget getting together in mass. Covert. That is where you’ll have to go. Begin to communicate on the down low. It is already too late to do otherwise. Now is the time to move in-out-and-about spreading information and plans in a manner that can not be interfered with. Sad. True.

  • PFM

    For my favorite “city” to consider imposing such restrictions is most difficult to comprehend … looks lhe ‘crazies’ are in control there too …

  • Mission Dweller

    JGIG has got it spot on

  • Mission Dweller

    JGIG has got it spot on

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-ODay/100001804045782 Tom O’Day

    I was in San Francisco several times. Strange police state, we walked around smoking dubes …AND…I took pictures of other people! The weather was very nice. Tom O’Day

  • Pingback: Liminal states :: Tuesday: Stop Surveillance in San Francisco

  • Usmc_vet

    Velcome to the People’s City of San Francisco, paper’s, paper’s please.

  • Pingback: Wednesday Linkorama « Mike's Meandering Mind

Previous post:

Next post: