Companies doing business in Illinois should consider getting up to speed on the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). We have reported on numerous (but not all) cases filed against technology companies and employers for alleged violations of BIPA [view related posts here]. The class action lawsuits continue to get filed at a rapid pace, providing additional urgency for companies to comply with BIPA.

Another proposed class action lawsuit was filed recently against Hegewisch Development Corp. alleging that it violated BIPA because the plaintiffs were not informed in writing and did not give their consent to collecting their fingerprints, nor were they provided with written notice of the purpose and length of time that their fingerprints were being collected, stored, disclosed and used, or when the information would be destroyed.

Employers using biometric time clocks (and other technology using biometric information) may wish to consider becoming knowledgeable about BIPA and its requirements, and implement measures designed to comply with it so they don’t get hit with a class action lawsuit like so many companies have in the past year. A little prevention can go a long way. BIPA has become the new gold rush for class action lawyers like TCPA litigation was a few years ago.

[View source.]