The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is investigating a new biometric identification scanning system being put into place in several of the nation's pubs and clubs, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The process includes taking patrons' photos and scanning driver's licences and index fingerprints, all of which are stored on a database managed by the firm that installed the scanning systems. The fingerprinting technology is now present in 13 venues nationwide, the report states, and is aimed at improving safety. However, Privacy Commissioner Karen Curtis warns, ''There are major security risks if organisations hold on to large amounts of personal information for lengthy periods of time, including possible identity fraud.''
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