Illinois lawmakers are making moves to limit penalties under the state’s biometric privacy law, a significant development for businesses that have faced considerable settlements due to private lawsuits.
Bloomberg Law reports that companies failing to secure written permission before collecting biometric information such as fingerprints and facial scans from Illinois residents could see a reduction in potential damage penalties following proposed changes to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
This proposal was approved by the Illinois Senate on Thursday, introduced as S.B. 2979, businesses are lobbying for these changes to be applied retroactively. The ongoing law has ignited numerous class-action lawsuits and notable settlements, such as BNSF Railway Co.’s recent agreement to pay $75 million due to a case alleging employee privacy rights violations.
The proposed legislation targets a reduction in penalties, marking a key move for corporate entities that have been hit with considerable fines under the existing privacy law. Further details on how these violations will be limited are not presented in the article.
This development in Illinois’s legal landscape signifies a shift in handling biometric data, a topic that has grown in prominence with advancements in technology, notably in sectors such as digital banking, immigration, and public security.