What I am talking about is, being asked for a Driver's License or other ID to verify what you just wrote. I didn't believe it either, until an American Express employee told me it is required company policy, and that the information is passed on Uncle Sam. Next came the Fifty Dollar bill, then the Twenty. The logic was to combat counterfeiting of US currency. I buy that.
Every country wants to protect it's currency and prevent fake money from being passed around.
A few years back, in my former life as an officer for a very large and very well known US banking institution, my boss called me into his office. That didn't bother me . Not only was I required to watch the video, but I had to sign a release form saying that I watched the video, and that I fully understood it. That didn't bother me either . No problem .