Visitors to the exhibitions in Willy-Brandt-Haus (SPD HQ) have to show their ID, which is fine, but the receptionist registers each visitor with name and number (in my case my passport number) – wait for it – BY HAND. As in – ON PAPER.
I always have to look the other way because seeing someone doing that in the 21st century ruins the visit for me before it has even begun.
I don’t give a flying rat’s ass about data privacy – certainly not when it comes to whether or not I visited the Sony World Photography exhibition on any given date – but the idea that an endless, handwritten list, lying around god knows where, on which my name, just to mention one example, probably figures about thirty times by now, not only looks completely absurd, archaic and ridiculous, but is actually considered “safer” than a database.
Good grief.