Clemson, South Carolina, officials crack down on underage drinking with an app

By Jamya Reed

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    CLEMSON, south carolina (WYFF) — The city of Clemson is cracking down on underage drinking with the help of a new app.

“We’re doing a private partnership with the city of Clemson to hopefully help stop fake IDs being used to purchase alcohol and things kids should let be buying,” said Brian Lewis, IntelliCheck CEO, who created the app.

The technology partnership will be with Clemson bars, convenience stores and liquor stores.

The Clemson police chief, mayor and other officials introduced the new technology Tuesday.

“The app can run on a phone, and it can, within 44 milliseconds, tell you if any ID is real or not,” Lewis said.

The Intellicheck app is meant to prevent any more tragedies than those that have already happened due to underage drinking.

The Tigertown Tavern has had its fair run-ins with fake IDs.

“It’s an arms race,” said Cameron Farish, Tiger Town Tavern co-owner. “How good the IDs look, how good they scan and how good the scanners catch them.”

Farish says they’ve already been using the app, and it’s made a difference in keeping underage kids out of the bar.

“When we bring that (Intellicheck) scanner outside and get. When the line is there, I see kids get out of line. They’re like, ‘Oh, they’re using the scanner, let’s go somewhere else,’ so I know it works,” Farish said.

The Tiger Town Tavern has been using the app for four years.

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