Trucking Group Joins Coalition Calling for BIPA Reform

The Illinois Trucking Association is among a coalition of businesses that are calling on state lawmakers to update the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). According to the coalition, more than 1,500 frivolous lawsuits have been filed against businesses, including trucking companies, manufacturers, retailers, hospitals, nursing homes, entertainment venues, and hotels, claiming employee or consumer rights’ violations without any harm done to people and identity theft.

“BIPA is hurting our industry, and it is making our roads less safe,” said ITA Executive Director Matt Hart, giving testimony for a BIPA Reform Press Confrernce. Many trucking companies are removing in-cab cameras due to involvement in or fear of a BIPA lawsuit. “Likewise, trucking companies that were considering these cameras to improve their safety have now decided against installing these cameras in Illinois because they fear being sued in this state.”

In response, Hart is encouraging Illinois truckers to contact their state lawmakers to urge them to fix BIPA during the present session of the Illinois General Assembly, which ends on May 19. Hart added that “no other state in the country has BIPA laws like this,” and the Illinois law is hurting trucking companies and other businesses.

The coalition also includes the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Health Care Association, Illinois Health and Hospital Association, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, and TechNet. These organizations are calling on lawmakers to update the law to require proof that actual harm occurred to individuals before imposing fines, establish a “notice and cure” time period allowing businesses to address any potential issues, authorize the state Attorney General to provide companies with advisory opinions on compliance efforts, impose a one-year statute of limitations, and clarify a recent state Supreme Court decision.

Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Mark Denzler said, “Illinois’ current BIPA law is outdated and flawed, resulting in thousands of lawsuits and billions of dollars in damages, even when there has been no harm to an individual. It’s time for lawmakers to put an end to this rampant abuse of the law and enact common-sense reforms that protect businesses while preserving privacy rights.”

Tyler Diers, executive director of Illinois and the Midwest Region for TechNet, said, “We encourage lawmakers to reform BIPA in a way that helps our state’s businesses grow while ensuring consumers have access to the latest innovations, platforms, and services. The way we live, work, and communicate has been transformed by innovation, yet the law has remained the same. We need a modern law that reflects what’s needed today and tomorrow, not yesterday.”

The coalition maintains that businesses should be able to use biometric identifiers for routine human resources and record-keeping (time clocks), security (managing access to controlled substances, preventing organized retail theft), and accessing sensitive facilities (electric plants and oil refineries).

The coalition’s members are urging lawmakers to update BIPA in a way that balances the need for businesses to use biometric identifiers with the privacy rights of individuals. They argue that the current law is outdated and flawed and that it is hurting Illinois trucking companies and other businesses. As the session of the Illinois General Assembly draws to a close, the coalition is hopeful that lawmakers will heed their calls for change and take action to remedy BIPA.

Source: Transport Topics

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March 6, 2023 – by the FindBiometrics Editorial Team