Delivery Robots Are Collecting Hungry Users’ Biometric Data Without Their Consent, Lawsuits Allege

Social media is full of videos of delivery robots getting stuck while on routes, with some good Samaritans helping free the helpless devices. But two new lawsuits allege that the robots are collecting hungry individuals’ biometric data without their consent. Two lawsuits were filed against two delivery robot companies, Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The lawsuits argue that the delivery robots record users’ biometric data without their consent in violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which generally requires private entities to provide notice and obtain written consent before collecting a person’s biometric identifiers.One of the plaintiffs, Mitchell Breidinger, said that on September 29 he ordered food on DoorDash, and that it arrived via a Coco robot — even though he did not select a robot as the delivery vehicle. The other plaintiff, Barry Schain, ordered food on UberEats on October 4, which also arrived via delivery robot, without him selecting that option. Both men allege that the robots also recorded them while they retrieved their food and shared it with third parties.The complaint states that in both cases, the robots used LiDAR sensors to scan the plaintiffs’ faces. LiDAR uses infrared laser light to measure an individual’s physical features, such as “the distance from the sensor to the tip of the nose, the bridge of the nose, the cheekbones, the brow, the chin and jaw, and the shape and position of the hands reaching toward the robot.”The complaint says those measurements are “established means of identifying a person” and alleges that the details are stored in a system along with users’ names and addresses.Attorneys for the plaintiffs say the potential ways the data could be misused is “almost limitless.” Coco Robotics denied that it has “used LiDAR in Chicago.” The company also insisted that it follows Illinois law regarding data collection and only shares navigational data.Serve Robotics said in a statement that it is “aware of the complaint” and forward to defending itself in court. The company also said its cameras and sensors are used for navigation and not to identify individuals. While videos of delivery robots getting stuck on their delivery routes and needing to be rescued by humans have gone viral on social media, several lawsuits have been filed against companies that develop them. In July, an Arizona woman sued a delivery robot company, Starship Technologies, alleging that one of its models struck her and knocked her to the ground, then hit her again. Earlier this week, a woman at Philadelphia was arrested after she blocked a delivery robot’s path and refused to move. The woman, Carolyn Marvin, told a local news station, ABC7, that she was protesting the delivery robots because she believes they are replacing human workers.

Delivery Robots Are Collecting Hungry Users’ Biometric Data Without Their Consent, Lawsuits Allege

Delivery Robots Are Collecting Hungry Users’ Biometric Data Without Their Consent, Lawsuits Allege

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