Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) continues to be a problem for employers who are using biometric information such as palm readers or fingerprint timekeeping software.
This week, waste management company GFL Environmental Services USA Inc. (GFL) agreed to settle a proposed class action case filed by some of its employees alleging violation of BIPA.
Retirement Community Chain Settles Alleged BIPA Violations for Almost $1 Million
By Kathryn Rattigan on
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
Lifespace Communities Inc. (Lifespace), a retirement community chain with more than 15 communities in eight states, recently settled a class action for $987,850 for its alleged violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
The class action was filed in June 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by…
Canon Hit with Data Breach Class Action Suit by Former and Current Employees
By Kathryn Rattigan on
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
Canon U.S.A. Inc. (Canon) was hit with a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York this week for the ransomware attack that exposed current and former employees’ personal information in November 2020. The plaintiffs reside in Ohio, New York, Florida and Illinois, and allege that Canon was…
Biometric Suit Not Preempted by Workers’ Compensation Statute
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in New + Now
An Illinois employee of Power Solutions International Inc. (Power Solutions) filed suit against his employer alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) when Power Solutions collected his fingerprints through a timekeeping system without providing consent to do so. Under BIPA, companies, including employers, are required to provide notice and consent to employees…
Google Sued Under Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
Another day, another suit against a brand name for allegations of violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Plaintiffs’ attorneys are having a field day filing class action lawsuits based on BIPA.
Late last week, Google was sued in Cook County, Illinois in a proposed class action, alleging that it violated BIPA by…
Employers and Wellness Plans: Questions about Quest Breach?
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in New + Now
Last week, we wrote that Quest Diagnostics reported in a security filing that a collection agency performing collections for the company had suffered an intrusion that exposed almost 12 million individuals’ personal and financial information [view related post]. Another lab company reported days later that it was notified that the information of 8 million…
GozNym Malware Attack Hits Two Law Firms for Over $117K in Losses
By Deborah George on
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
Two law firms were among the latest victims of the GozNym malware attack that caused a combined loss of more than $117,000. Law enforcement authorities recently announced the dismantling of a cybercrime network that used this GozNym malware to attempt to steal an estimated $100 million from victims in the United States and around the…
Model Rule for Securities Administrators Approved by NASAA
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) this week approved an information security model rule package aimed at improving the cybersecurity posture of the 17,543 state-registered advisers.
The proposed model would require state-registered investment advisers to establish written cybersecurity policies and procedures designed to safeguard clients’ records and information, and to deliver its privacy policy…
Hotel Chain Hit with Class Action Alleging “Misuse” of Biometric Data
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
Hotel chain Fillmore Hospitality, LLC is the latest target of a proposed class action complaint filed this week, alleging violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). We don’t usually discuss the specific allegations in BIPA cases, but since they continue to populate the litigation landscape, we thought it would be instructive to take…
Two More Companies Sued Under Illinois Biometric Law
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
Two more companies are under fire for alleged violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Loews Hotel in Chicago was recently sued in the Circuit Court of Cook County for allegedly violating BIPA by collecting employees’ biometric information and sharing it with third parties without the employees’ consent.
According to the suit…