Facial Recognition, Fingerprints, and Retina Scans, Oh, My! Exploring Privacy and Security Concerns Raised by Business Collection, Use, and Distribution of Biometric Data Through a Multicomponent Team Project

Businesses use facial recognition software, fingerprint scanning, and other biometric tools in the workplace and/or commercial establishments. Concerned with the collection, use, retention, and security of biometric data, and the impact of these practices, Illinois enacted the Biometric Information Privacy Act in 2008. We designed a project that requires student teams to read and compare several biometric privacy statutes, identify “best practices” from these laws, examine the desirability of enacting such a statute, and apply the Texas Capture and Use of Biometric Information to a now-settled lawsuit against Facebook/Meta.