BBC Newsbeat, UK, reports that some nightclub security staff now demand access to clubber's smartphones in order to verify individual identities, rather than rely on ID cards.

It is claimed to be a means to ensure underage party-goers are not able to enter the establishments, and as the majority of young people appear to own a social media account, nightclub security is also assuming that access to these accounts through mobile devices is possible.

Charlotte Neal, 20, is one clubber in the UK that as gone through the process several times. She says:

"I kind of just logged onto it [Facebook] and showed him the screen and then he didn't question it any further. When it happened the first time I didn't really think anything of it. Then I thought, 'Hang on, is this really how you're supposed to check how old I am?' But I was out and I wanted to get in the club so I just agreed."

Neal said that the process was undertaken in order to match her driving license to her Facebook profile, verifying that identification cards belonged to her.

Other subscribers to the broadcast service have stated the same has happened to them; with a high frequency of events taking place in Northern Ireland.

A spokesman from privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch said that he was against the idea, considering it an affront to basic privacy and personal rights.

"Not only is it ridiculous from a security point of view, it's an affront to the basic rights of people to be able to live their lives in private.If the problem is that people haven't got good enough quality IDs, then let's make sure they do have good enough quality IDs. This shouldn't be an excuse for nightclubs to snoop and pry into people's private lives."

In contrast, some security staff believe the measures are necessary, as the consequences of allowing underage entrants can be serious for the establishment, security staff and individual themselves.

However, if the procedure of checking Facebook profiles becomes more widespread, there is no reason why underage clubbers would not simply create a fake profile that coincides with the name and age of their fake ID cards. Social networking may be prevalent among the new generation of party-goers, but as many people understand, little of what you find on it is true.

Image credit: Stephen Griffin

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