A biometric privacy statute set to take effect next month in New York City is likely to usher in costly litigation against companies that fail to meet its requirements.
The law, which applies to commercial establishments, prohibits businesses from collecting biometric information—facial scans, fingerprints, and the like—without first posting a conspicuous sign at customer entrances.
The legislation comes amid growing criticism of facial recognition tools, with municipalities from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, passing laws to curtail the technology’s use. Facial recognition technology violates citizens’ expectation to privacy and disproportionately misidentifies people of color, advocates argue.
The New York law’s ...