Over the weekend, two popular gay bars in San Francisco halted the use of ID verification technology after pushback. Badlands and Toad Hall, both in the Castro neighborhood, opted to pause using Patronscan Guard+, an AI assisted identification reader, similar to what you may see at an airport, after community concerns were raised. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are Patronscan is an ID scanning technology that can identify fake IDs at a forensic level through comparisons with known fake templates and comparisons with government provided security measures. Servall Data Systems, the makers of Patronscan, also offers a flagging service that can help bars and venues alert their employees of problematic customers and share that information with other establishments that utilize this technology. Opponents are concerned that it is data collection of vulnerable populations and yet another form of tech surveillance in the age of license plate readers and even facial scanning AI. Fight for the Future, an advocacy organization that has been working to prevent AI surveillance technology from being utilized in music venues and bars around the country, called for a boycott all bars in San Francisco that use Patronscan, until they discontinue its use. "We have heard the concerns regarding the use of Patronscan at Badlands and Toad Hall in San Francisco, and we are listening," said Brian Aranda, director of operations at both bars, in a statement released on Friday. "Effective immediately, we are pausing the use of Patronscan while we review our ID verification and security practices. The safety of our guests and staff remains a priority, as do privacy and trust. Our security teams will continue to thoroughly check IDs manually during this time." Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future said that their organization has been working on campaigns to