Patronscan ID verification paused at popular gay bars in San Francisco due to privacy concerns San Francisco’s Castro District is rolling back the use of AI‑assisted face scanning technology after LGBTQ+ community members raised alarms over privacy, surveillance and the creation of sensitive data profiles. Two prominent gay bars, Badlands and Toad Hall, said they would stop using Patronscan ID verification following weeks of criticism. “We have heard about the concerns regarding the use of PatronScan at Badlands and Toad Hall in San Francisco, and we are listening,” Toad Hall said on an Instagram post. “Effective immediately, we are pausing the use of Patronscan while we review our ID verification and security practices.” Staff will return to manual ID checks while the review is underway. The scanners were introduced earlier this year but have faced backlash. Patrons say the technology felt intrusive in spaces historically seen as refuges for people who may not be publicly out. The venues use an ID scanner and a camera — Patronscan Guard+ — that captures photos of patrons. These are stored on a database, for up to 21 days, and are shared on a network to which venues can access if they subscribe. Eight venues in San Francisco use the technology, according to SFGate. Patronscan’s system collects a customer’s ZIP code, photograph, date of birth, gender and the expiration date of their ID, according to the company’s website. Company spokesperson Rhiannon Mosoronchon told SFGate that it does not use facial recognition but is stored as a timestamped image of the patron. The company says data is stored for about 21 days to assist law enforcement investigations and is not sold or shared with third parties. It argues its technology complies with California law, which permits ID verification systems to prevent underage drinking and fraud.