When ordering food delivered by an autonomous machine, paying for the meal and standard fees may not be the only cost. Two popular delivery robot manufacturers are currently facing class-action lawsuits filed by Chicago residents, accused of using onboard cameras and sensors to scan the faces and hands of customers without their explicit permission.
The legal challenges target Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics in separate complaints, though the underlying allegations share striking similarities. Plaintiffs claim the companies utilized cameras and LiDAR technology to capture and record biometric details as consumers retrieved deliveries from services like DoorDash and Uber Eats. In the Coco Robotics case, the plaintiff stated the machine mapped his hand, head, and face geometry while allowing a remote operator to watch the interaction in real-time. Meanwhile, the lawsuit against Serve Robotics alleges the firm retained biometric information without consent and potentially used the data to train artificial intelligence systems or license it to third parties.
Both legal actions assert violations of the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act. The strict state legislation mandates that any organization collecting biometric data from residents must supply written notice, secure explicit consent, and maintain publicly available retention and destruction guidelines. Representatives for both robotics firms have denied any wrongdoing related to the accusations.
The lawsuits seek statutory damages of $1,000 per violation, or up to $5,000 for intentional or reckless infractions. Chicago has increasingly become a flashpoint regarding autonomous delivery machines, as local residents grow increasingly vocal about sidewalk congestion, pedestrian safety hazards, and the broader integration of automated technology into urban neighborhoods.
Delivery Robot Companies Face Lawsuits Over Biometric Data Collection
Comments