Proposed $6.8M settlement reached in biometric vending machines data privacy suit

A biometric data privacy suit against Compass Group USA Inc. and partner 365 Retail Markets LLC under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) has reached a resolution, with the parties agreeing to a $6.8 million settlement deal, Reuters reports.

Representatives for Compass Group filed an unopposed motion for preliminary approval of the proposed settlement, which would resolve all claims stemming from the capture of fingerprint biometrics by vending machines operated by Compass Group. Named plaintiff Christine Bryant used a Compass vending machine with a biometric payment system installed at a contact center workplace where she was employed.

Under the agreement, the companies deny all liability and wrongdoing. The agreement also authorizes a reward for Settlement Class Council of up to a third of the total amount in attorney fees.

Bryant v. Compass Group USA Inc. set precedence that clarified standing in federal court last year.

365 Retail is the payment technology provider that supplied the biometric authentication system used in the Compass vending machines, and was added as a defendant in June of this year. Details about how the payment would be divided between the defendants was not shared.

Biometrics adoption is forecast to help spur growth in intelligent vending machines to a global market of $15 billion by 2027 in a recent report.

Article Topics

biometric data  |  Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA)  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  data collection  |  data protection  |  fingerprint recognition  |  lawsuits  |  privacy  |  vending machine