Target Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Illegally Collecting Biometric Data
An Illinois woman has initiated a legal battle against Target, alleging the company's unauthorized use of facial recognition and fingerprint scanning violates state privacy laws.
- The lawsuit claims Target covertly collects biometric data such as facial and fingerprint scans without customer consent, in violation of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
- Plaintiff Arnetta Dean seeks statutory damages, accusing Target of failing to inform or obtain consent from customers before collecting their biometric data.
- Target's surveillance systems, including advanced electronic surveillance and forensic labs, are said to capture biometric data to identify shoplifters, but also collect data on all customers entering the stores.
- The lawsuit highlights the unique risks posed by biometric data, which unlike other identifiers, cannot be changed once compromised, increasing the risk of identity theft.
- Recent years have seen similar BIPA violations leading to substantial settlements, including a $650 million payout by Facebook to Illinois users.
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