Delivery Robot Firms Sued Over Biometric Data Collection
Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics face class-action lawsuits for allegedly scanning faces and hands of Chicago pedestrians and customers without consent to train AI models.
Two proposed class-action lawsuits filed in Cook County accuse Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics of violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008. The plaintiffs, Mitchell Breidinger and Barry Schain, allege that delivery robots used cameras and LiDAR sensors to scan the faces and hands of customers and pedestrians on Chicago sidewalks without providing written notice or obtaining consent.
The complaints claim the companies linked this biometric data to personal identities and shared it with third parties, including OpenAI, to train artificial intelligence models. The lawsuits seek statutory damages ranging from $1,000 for negligent violations to $5,000 for intentional or reckless violations per person.
Serve Robotics denied the allegations, stating its systems are not designed to identify individuals or create biometric profiles, and that its sensors are used solely for safe navigation. Coco Robotics also dismissed the claims as meritless and frivolous, asserting it has never used LiDAR in Chicago and only shares anonymous navigational data to improve street safety.
These legal challenges emerge as Chicago officials evaluate a delivery robot pilot program scheduled to expire in May 2027. The program has faced ongoing scrutiny regarding sidewalk safety and surveillance concerns.
