Health Care Worker Fingerprints Exempt from Illinois Privacy Law

Illinois health care companies that require workers to scan their fingerprints to access medications aren’t violating the state’s biometric privacy law, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

The ruling from the state Supreme Court reverses an Illinois appellate court decision that sided with health care workers. Two registered nurses claimed medical suppliers or their employers violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by requiring them to swipe their fingers to access medicine cabinets without their consent.

“Here, the nurses’ biometric information, as alleged in the complaints, was collected, used, and stored to access medications and medical supplies for patient ...