Biometric Data Privacy

Every day the headlines scream of a new major cybersecurity data breach. Historically, hackers have stolen this data to leverage usernames and passwords to access everything from your bank accounts to your home security system. As technology evolves beyond simple username and password identity verification, many employers and other businesses force their employees and customers to use biometric information, such as fingerprint, retinal scanners, and other facial recognition devices, to track time, location and verify identity. In order to safeguard this most intimate of data from cyberthreats, in 2008 Illinois passed the Biometric Information Privacy Act, commonly referred to as BIPA. This law provides that any person or business scanning or otherwise obtaining your biometric information must first obtain your written authorization, as well as institute data destruction and policies so that your information does not become compromised. Damages range from $1,000-5,000 per violation. Our attorneys are well versed in this area and have litigated numerous class action and individual complaints against Illinois and nationwide companies.