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Proposed Alabama beer rule prompts privacy concerns

In this Dec. 11, 2013, file photo, brewer Stefano Daneri holding up a beer at Good People Brewing in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama's alcohol regulators want the name, address, age and phone number of everyone who buys beer in one of the state's craft breweries and takes it home to drink, a move that is raising concerns about privacy. he Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is considering a new rule that would require brewers to collect the personal information of anyone who purchases beer at a brewery for off-premise consumption.
In this Dec. 11, 2013, file photo, brewer Stefano Daneri holding up a beer at Good People Brewing in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama's alcohol regulators want the name, address, age and phone number of everyone who buys beer in one of the state's craft breweries and takes it home to drink, a move that is raising concerns about privacy. he Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is considering a new rule that would require brewers to collect the personal information of anyone who purchases beer at a brewery for off-premise consumption. In this Dec. 11, 2013, file photo, brewer Stefano Daneri holding up a beer at Good People Brewing in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama's alcohol regulators want the name, address, age and phone number of everyone who buys beer in one of the state's craft breweries and takes it home to drink, a move that is raising concerns about privacy. he Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is considering a new rule that would require brewers to collect the personal information of anyone who purchases beer at a brewery for off-premise consumption.

By Associated Press 2 min read

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama’s alcohol regulators want to know who is buying beer from one of the state’s craft breweries and taking it home to drink.

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is considering a new rule that would require brewers to collect the name, address, age and phone number from anyone who purchases beer at a brewery for off-premise consumption.

Industry groups are crying foul over the proposed regulation, which they say is an invasion of privacy. They also say it would be a logistical nightmare to collect the information.

“As nonsensical as it might seem, this rule would essentially empower the ABC Board to come to an individual’s house to confirm his or her purchase of a six pack of beer,” said a statement by Nick Hudson of Free The Hops, a group that has campaigned to increase craft brewing to the conservative, Bible Belt state.

The Alabama Brewers Guild, composed of the state’s roughly two dozen breweries and brewpubs, said collecting the information would be an administrative nightmare and could pose concerns not just over privacy but also about potential data breaches and governmental use of the information.