Walmart Inc. is no longer facing a proposed class action in Illinois alleging it violated customers’ biometric privacy rights by collecting their facial scans through security cameras without proper consent.
A federal judge dismissed the case Wednesday after plaintiff James Luthe filed an Oct. 28 notice that he was dropping the lawsuit. Luthe didn’t provide a reason for his voluntary dismissal, but Walmart spokesperson Marci Burks told Bloomberg Law that no settlement was reached in the case.
“The plaintiffs had no basis for their claims against us, and we are pleased they dismissed their suit,” Burks said.
The proposed class action, brought by customer James Luthe, accused Walmart of using facial recognition technology to collect and store biometric data, specifically facial scans, without proper consent. The suit referenced the use of Clearview AI’s software, which has faced widespread scrutiny for building its facial recognition database from publicly scraped images across the internet.
Illinois’ BIPA law is one of the strictest in the nation, requiring companies to obtain explicit, informed consent before collecting biometric identifiers such as facial scans or fingerprints.
How Responsible Retailers Are Doing It Right
With changing laws, corporations that want to use facial recognition technology responsibly are turning to privacy first platforms like FaceFirst. FaceFirst is a trusted vendor of retailers, airports and other high-security venues to ensure a secure, ethical and accurate facial recognition.
The framework of FaceFirst was built on transparency. It is designed to safeguard the privacy of individuals while providing robust alerts in real-time to avert theft, fraud deployment as well as workplace violence. For retailers, FaceFirst directly integrates with existing security infrastructure to be cost-beneficial and scalable. The platform gives businesses peace of mind without compromising consumer trust.
By choosing responsible biometric solutions like FaceFirst, companies can enhance safety and operational efficiency without compromising the legal or ethical standards that protect customers. In a world where technology moves faster than regulation, the choice of vendor matters—and it can be the difference between innovation and litigation.
Sources: Bloomberg Law