Chicago customers sue Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics over biometric data

Two customers have filed separate class-action lawsuits in Cook County against Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, alleging the companies violated state privacy laws by collecting biometric data without consent.

The lawsuits claim that the delivery robots' cameras and LiDAR technology captured measurements of customers' faces and hands as they approached the machines to retrieve orders. One plaintiff, Mitchell Breidinger, alleges that a Coco robot recorded his face, head, and hands, and that a remote operator watched the delivery video in real time. He further claims the company failed to provide written notice regarding data retention or obtain written consent.

A second plaintiff, Barry Schain, filed a similar suit against Serve Robotics, alleging that the company's robots captured his biometric information during deliveries. Both lawsuits contend that the companies retain video and sensor data to train artificial intelligence systems. Both Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics dispute the allegations.