Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 2 hrs ago
Chicago Lawsuits Accuse Delivery Robot Companies of Collecting Biometric Data
Two Chicago residents have filed separate class-action lawsuits against Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, which operate food delivery robots.
The customers say they did not choose robot delivery, but their orders were assigned to robots and the machines’ cameras and LiDAR scanned their faces and hands.
One customer also alleges a Coco remote operator watched his delivery in real time.
The lawsuits claim the companies kept the measurements, linked them to customer details and used or licensed data for AI training.
The companies deny collecting biometric data and say their cameras and sensors gather navigational data to help robots move safely.
The lawsuits say this violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires written notice and consent, along with rules for keeping and deleting biometric data.
The customers seek statutory damages and other relief, but the claims have not been resolved.
Two Chicago residents have filed separate class-action lawsuits accusing Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics of collecting biometric data without consent.
The plaintiffs allege the delivery robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors measured customers’ faces and hands, and that the data was retained or used to train AI systems.
The suits claim the companies violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires written notice and consent for biometric data collection.
Both companies deny collecting biometric data from customers or passersby.
The lawsuits seek statutory damages of $1,000 per negligent violation or $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation, plus other relief.
- Who
- Chicago residents Mitchell Breidinger and Barry Schain are suing Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics.
- What
- They allege the companies’ delivery robots collected biometric data without consent. The companies deny the claims.
- When
- The lawsuits were filed on October 9, according to one report. The alleged customer experiences include a delivery in September 2025 and one on October 4.
- Where
- Cook County, Illinois; the alleged deliveries were in Chicago.
- Why
- The plaintiffs claim the companies violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by collecting biometric data without the required notice and written consent.
The plaintiffs
Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics
Data collection
The plaintiffs
The plaintiffs allege the robots’ cameras and LiDAR measured customers’ faces and hands without consent.
Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics
The companies deny collecting biometric information from customers or passersby.
Use of data
The plaintiffs
The lawsuits allege the data was retained and used to train AI systems, and claim it may have been shared with third parties.
Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics
The companies say they collect navigational data and do not use it to identify individuals or create biometric profiles.
Legal responsibility
The plaintiffs
The plaintiffs say the alleged collection violated Illinois’ biometric privacy law.
Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics
Both companies dispute the allegations; Serve says it will defend against the lawsuit.
Mitchell Breidinger says a Coco robot delivered his DoorDash groceries and recorded measurements of his face, head and hands.
Barry Schain says an Uber Eats order was assigned to a Serve robot, his most recent of three such deliveries.
The two residents filed separate class-action lawsuits in Cook County court, according to the Independent.
- Plaintiffs
- Mitchell Breidinger and Barry Schain
- Companies sued
- Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics
- Court location
- Cook County, Illinois
- Alleged statute violations
- Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act
- Damages sought
- $1,000 per negligent violation; $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation
4 sources
Lawsuits Allege Delivery Robots Recorded Biometric Data Without Permission
Delivery robots scan faces and collect customer biometric data, lawsuit alleges
Delivery Robots Are Watching You, According to Lawsuit
Battle over Chicago's delivery robots reaches the courts after outcry over alleged face scans
What people are saying
This lawsuit fundamentally misunderstands our technology, we have not collected biometric data in Chicago
The data we share is navigational data used to make sidewalks safer for all users
Serve does not use that data to identify individuals, and our systems are not designed to identify individuals or create biometric profiles.