[dghlsakjg]

Something that you are required to do by every single venue that offers a service in order to participate is not really what I would call opt in. Yes, you can opt out by never going to a nightclub, but that seems different.

You can’t really call something opt-in if opting out means that you are barred from participating in an entire class of activity unrelated to what you opted out of.

As a counter example, the TSA in the US is now starting to use facial scans for ID, but you can opt out by telling the agent. It does not mean that you cannot go flying, it means that they use a human to identify you without the use of computerized facial scans.

[SoftTalker]

I mean, the TSA already scans your passport/id, and knows every other detail about your trip. Is a facial scan really adding much more? Last time I entered the country they used facial recognition and I didn't even need to show my passport. So they obviously already had the data to recognize me from my passport photo. And this was over two years ago.

[breve]

I don't carry my passport everywhere I go. I do carry my face everywhere I go.

Networked, centralised facial recognition is the ultimate "papers, please."

[nine_k]

To enter a movie theater, you have to buy a ticket. If you don't, you're barred from the entire class of activity of movie-going.

Where is the difference?

[dghlsakjg]

Do you really not see the difference between having to pay for a service and having to upload biometric data in a centralized database under someone else’s control?

For one, I don’t have to buy a ticket. Many theaters participate in programs where you can get a ticket as a reward for other activities (credit card points, eg). The ticket sale is determined by the theater, and is not part of a government supported scheme to prevent some people from ever seeing a movie in any theater, ever.

Finally, the sale of a ticket is necessary for the operation of many movie theaters. It is intrinsic to the business model. The nightclub could operate the service, and even work with ban lists without the centralized biometric database.

[spiderice]

> activity unrelated to what you opted out of

Going to see a movie is obviously not unrelated to buying a movie ticket.

[edlebert]

The difference is that buying a ticket isn't marketed as "opt-in".

[xandrius]

This comment cannot be done in faith. Buying a ticket versus buying a ticket AND being profiled by all other venues are clearly two different things.

[nine_k]

Ah, I did not realize that the biometrics are shared with all clubs (and maybe government?), and are not limited to one club franchise.