2Nite, a new monitoring app in San Francisco, is monitoring real-time situations at bar locations through the use of cameras in Bay Area establishments.
The livestream allows potential visitors to see what's happening in each bar and how packed the venues are at the moment.
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2Nite Promotes Nightlife Monitoring for Bar Goers
2Nite claims to be an "all-in-one app for managing, promoting, and discovering nightlife." The app is available for download on the Apple App Store and encourages users to explore the Discovery Page for live streams.
Users can also book tickets to events at certain venues using the app. Clicking through a specific feed will provide information about the location, organizer, and more.
As of writing, the app inked partnerships with five to eight venues. This includes The Blue Light, Mayes Oyster House in San Francisco, Kip's Bar and Grill, and Club Cali in Berkley. The live streams are available every Friday and Saturday night. The founders of the app hope to add more streams on Thursday and Sunday nights.
2Nite Receives Criticism Amid Bar Surveillance Premise
Co-founder Lucas Harris explained that the idea of the app stemmed from the difficult bar navigation within San Francisco and other cities. He shared that live streams are the easiest way to provide information about a certain location before going in.
However, some local bar patrons voiced their concerns about the surveillance strategy of the app. The fact that an app could allow other people to remotely monitor bar attendees is creeping them out.
According to them, people could be more wary in bars instead of letting loose due to the monitoring. Someone also described the app as "completely invasive."
Harris assured that partnered venues of the app can control what cameras are enabled. He also added that the stream is designed to only offer a glimpse of the venue. A blurring method will also be added to anonymize the feed and prevent the partygoers from being identified.
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