Dead People Fingerprint Sales Inspire Novel Florida Privacy Bill

Shortly after his mother’s funeral, Orlando resident Mark Cady-Archilla was confused to receive mail advertising the opportunity to purchase her fingerprint on a piece of jewelry.

Jacqueline Cady took great pains to protect her privacy in life, Cady-Archilla said. He learned months later that the funeral home in charge of her services had scanned her fingerprints and shared them with the personalized keepsake company Legacy Touch, he said. In the aftermath, his experience has triggered a Florida lawmaker to propose extending biometric privacy rights to the deceased.

“The mere idea that they would do that without my mother’s permission or ...