According to a new report by CBS Philadelphia, certain GameStop stores in Philadelphia are requiring customers to provide a fingerprint scan when they go to trade-in their games to the store.
GameStop says they are following local law that allows them to collect thumb prints – that go into a secure database called LeadsOnline – which will help authorities track down who is selling stolen products.
However, City Solicitor Shelley Smith says the city isn’t requiring GameStop to follow this law:
What GameStop does doesn’t meet any of the elements of the definition in the code, so the pawnbreaker ordinance doesn’t apply to GameStop.
Understandably, people were vocal about this policy, with customers outside a GameStop in Center City saying, “I really don’t appreciate it. You fingerprinted me like I’m in a police district. No, I’m at a game store” and “I think it’s an overreach. It’s going too far.”
Following this story coming out, Kotaku spoke with an employee at a GameStop in Philadelphia, where they revealed this measure has been in effect for about a month, following a request from Philadelphia police to implement harsher security measures.
[Source: CBS Philadelphia via Kotaku, GameSpot]
