Chicago Robot Firms Face Biometric Privacy Suits

Two customers have filed separate class-action lawsuits in Cook County accusing Chicago delivery-robot companies Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics of collecting biometric data without written notice or consent, in violation of Illinois law. The plaintiffs allege the robots’ cameras and LiDAR captured measurements of their faces and hands when they retrieved orders, including deliveries they say they did not choose to receive by robot. The suits also raise concerns about storing and using video and sensor data for AI training and sharing it with third parties. Both companies dispute the allegations: Coco says it has not collected biometric data in Chicago, while Serve says its robots are not designed to identify people or create biometric profiles.