Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is testing a new vending machine, a wine vending machine the board is calling a “kiosk.”
A Press Release posted on their website boasts,
“The self-service kiosks are an exciting new opportunity for consumers to pick up their groceries and a bottle of their favorite wine to compliment their dinner all in one stop,” Board Chairman Patrick J. “PJ” Stapleton said. “While our PLCB stores continue to provide excellent customer service and a wider variety of products, the kiosks are a way to give our customers an added level of convenience in today’s busy society.”
Using state-of-the-art technologies developed by Simple Brands LLC of Conshohocken, the kiosks will stock a variety of Pennsylvanians’ favorite wines at optimal temperatures and provide detailed information for interested consumers.
They say the kiosks are “easy to use” claiming “the entire process will take less than 20 seconds.”
In the FAQ’s the LCB states:
Purchasers will insert their driver’s license (or other state-issued ID card) into a scanning device that will read the information from the magnetic strip. A customer service representative for the PLCB, who will be monitoring the transaction via video link from a remote location, will check the ID information to ensure the purchaser is of legal drinking age, and visually verify the person standing at the kiosk is the same individual pictured on the ID.
Before the transaction is completed, consumers will have to test their breath alcohol concentration by using a breathalyzer. The sensor can determine whether a consumer is over a set breath alcohol level, or BrAC, simply by having the consumer blow into an opening located on the kiosk. The customer service representative will be presented with a pass/fail indication based on the sensor results.
The customer service representative will have the ability to approve or deny the transaction. If a consumer presents themselves to be of legal drinking age, matches the photo on the ID card, passes the breathalyzer, and is not visibly intoxicated, then the customer service representative will approve the sale.”Is my personal information protected?
Yes, all personal information is protected. A consumer’s personal information is held on the kiosks’ server which communicates with the bank as part of the transaction by the PLCB. The information is saved on the server for 30 days. The information is kept secure by the PLCB and will never be used or sold in any way.
Why would the State need to keep a consumer’s personal information for any amount of time, much less 30 days? The LCB also states, “if a consumer’s driver’s license or ID card will not scan, the transaction will be denied because the customer service center will be unable to verify the consumer’s identification.” Why does a Driver’s license have a magnetic readable strip anyways? Why not have the customer hold the ID up to a camera? Is there some other reason the ID must be swiped?
If use of these “kiosks” becomes the norm and expands to items other than wine, you can expect the black & gray-markets to flourish.