Surge in Biometric Privacy Suits Causes Firms to Boost Specialty

Law firms are forming new practice groups and hiring attorneys to handle a sharp rise in Illinois biometric privacy litigation, amid companies’ growing use of fingerprint, facial recognition, and palm print technology.

The trend highlights the growing demand for services related to biometric privacy—and what potentially is at stake for companies facing class action lawsuits for alleged violations.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in January that consumers don’t have to show specific harm in order to sue companies under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA)—opening the door for more plaintiffs to seek damages for alleged misuse of personal data. ...