Misleading Claims on Biometric Technology Draw FTC Warning (1)
(Bloomberg Law, May 18, 2023)
The Federal Trade Commission has threatened to bring enforcement actions against businesses that mislead consumers about technologies like facial recognition software that use physical characteristics to identify individuals. False or unsubstantiated claims about the accuracy and effectiveness of these biometric technologies, or about the collection and use of such data, may violate the FTC Act’s consumer protections, the agency warned in a policy statement commissioners voted to adopt Thursday.
[Paywall] Amazon Web Services Defeats Biometric Privacy Class Action
(Bloomberg Law, May 18, 2023)
Amazon Web Services Inc. defeated a proposed class action alleging it violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act through the image-recognition services it provided to the Wonolo job-search app. AWS didn’t have sufficient links with Illinois to satisfy the requirements for personal jurisdiction over the company, Judge Elaine E. Bucklo of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said Wednesday. Bucklo granted AWS’s motion to dismiss, and denied as moot plaintiff Cynthia Redd’s motion for remand to state court for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Redd alleged in a lawsuit originally filed in the Circuit Court of Cook...
Keep Illinois Law Strong on Protecting Personal Biometric Information
(Chicago Sun Times, May 16, 2023)
BIPA has been under attack almost since the day it was enacted, from companies that don’t want to bother with it. The point of the law is not to crush companies with burdensome penalties. But the answer should not be to toss out the law or weaken the penalties to the point that companies can safely ignore BIPA. A state Senate working group has been talking with stakeholders about the issue. One solution that has been raised would be to add a provision to BIPA that requires companies that sell equipment that collects biometric information to notify their customers about the law. That makes sense.
French Court’s Approval of Olympics AI Surveillance Plan Fuels Privacy Concerns
(The Guardian, May 18, 2023)
In agreeing to limited use of AI at the Olympics, France’s constitutional council said the new measures, which are experimental, could only be deployed at sports, recreational or cultural events in the fight to “prevent public order offences”. The law will be in place until March 2025. It will make France the first country within the EU to allow the use of AI-powered surveillance, despite strong opposition from 38 rights groups, which described the proposals as “a dangerous precedent for other European countries.”
Lufthansa Group Rolls Out Face Recognition Biometrics for Priority Security in Berlin
(Simple Flying, May 18, 2023)
Berlin Brandenburg has introduced BER Traveller in collaboration with the Lufthansa Group. This new service is only available for priority passengers traveling on Lufthansa Group airlines, HON Circle Members, and Senators. Previously, in order to enter the priority lane for security, passengers would have to show their boarding passes. This is no longer the case, as priority passengers flying on Lufthansa Group airlines will have quick access to the priority security lane through a separate section utilizing facial recognition.
