ID scanning systems have become a fixture at the entrances of private bars and nightclubs in many North American jurisdictions. This article draws from an ongoing ethnographic study to interrogate the diverse appeals of such devices to institutional audiences. The authors situate these devices within the occupational culture and routines of door staff, and accentuate how the real world operation of these tools can at times circumvent any promised security gains. They then consider why the devices are nonetheless appealing to nightclub representatives because of their potential sign value that allows bar staff to advance preferred sets of communications with influential audiences.
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