She says the opportunity is not direct but that could happen.Īgain, Walgreens denies collecting, storing or selling any data, but privacy attorney and Ronald Oister remain skeptical. Oister calls what Walgreens is doing 'ridiculous'.Ībout all that private information that may or may not be collected? Attorney Seay says if companies were so inclined they could use what info they collect from your license to retrieve additional personal information, including your birth certificate, social security number and various documents filed with the state. He points out that after he bought cigarettes at the store he received his usual number of spam emails, but many were from medical supply companies. Oister, who was and is involved in several online businesses, believes Walgreens is gathering and selling information for marketing purposes. In 2011 the state of California sued Walgreens for selling medical information gleaned from patient prescriptions and, according to the lawsuit, selling that info to dating mining firms which then resold that info to pharmaceutical companies. But it has been accused of doing so in the past. Phil Caruso, a spokesman for Walgreens, says the drug store chain only scans the back of customer licenses to verify the customer's age and Walgreens never collects, stores or sells that information. Have you even been a sexual offender, are you a safe driver, and so on. Seay says it could show whether or not you are a fisherman or a boater. But it is also legal to add additional informational personal information, all of which could create a very specific profile of who you are. The back of a Florida driver’s licenses contain the same information as the front. She says, not only is it against federal law, but the only reason to scan a license is to gather information besides age. Pamella Seay, a First Amendment attorney and professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, says that is inaccurate. It's something the store manager, who is called over, confirms. Cashiers are now required to scan the back of driver’s licenses or refuse to sell you cigarettes, beer or wine. The Walgreens, at the corner of Immokalee Road and Collier Boulevard in North Naples, is like all other Walgreens in the state. The license is then scanned with the same scanner the cashier uses to check out customers. Fox 4 has some interesting video, going undercover to videotape a 76-year-old man attempting to buy cigarettes at his local Walgreens.Įven though he is clearly over the age of 18, the required age to purchase cigarettes in the state, he is asked to hand over his driver’s license to prove it.

Texas drivers license barcode