Buying alcohol in the United States typically goes like this: You walk into a store, choose your desired beverage, take it to the counter, and get ready to pay. At this point, the person behind the counter will check your ID to verify that you are at least 21, and, if everything checks out, you are free to purchase your alcohol.
Now, a user on TikTok has gone viral after sharing an updated version of this system. In a video with over 5.7 million views, TikTok user Plavojai Jenkins (@p.r.papi) shows off new age verification technology for purchasing alcohol.
In the video, Jenkins shows a row of refrigerators filled with alcohol, all of which are locked. Next to the fridges is an ID scanner which encourages customers to put in their ID. Once they do, and they are verified to be over the age of 21, they can choose which fridge they want to unlock.
“I want the Bud Light door,” Jenkins says.
@p.r.papi Bud light door #7 ♬ original sound – Plavojai Jenkins
It is unclear where Jenkins filmed the TikTok, though many commenters allege that the video was filmed at a QuikTrip location in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This would track with a news story from earlier this year in which QuikTrip announced they would be implementing a similar system.
“The Beer Access Scanning system is designed for customers to scan their ID, pick the specific door they would like to purchase product from and go to the cash register and purchase,” QuikTrip’s Corporate Communications Manager told Fox 23.
In the comments section, some users were excited by the prospect of this new technology becoming mainstream.
“This needs to be everywhere,” one user wrote.
“I used to work at a gas station, this would have saved us so much trouble,” a second claimed.
“As a person who works in a liquor store WE NEED THIS,” a third agreed.
However, other users were quick to point out potential issues with the system.
“So you could come in with an ID that’s legal and not have a human verify it’s the same person,” one user noted.
In response to this user, many said that the customer would likely be asked for their identification again at the register, with this system existing largely to deter theft. The aforementioned Fox 23 article states that “cashiers will still be checking ID when someone purchases alcohol.”
Additional users noted the camera affixed to the top of the machine, which likely also captures images of the customer’s face.
Other users became more conspiratorial.
“So my ID would be in another database which means my identity could be potentially [stolen] off of whatever server they store the customer info on,” one user speculated.
The Daily Dot reached out to Plavojai Jenkins via TikTok comment and to QuikTrip via email.
