Delivery robots scan faces and collect customer biometric data, lawsuit alleges

Two Chicago men have filed two separate class action lawsuits against delivery robot companies Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics. The plaintiffs allege that the robots' external cameras and internal LiDAR technology were used to scan and collect biometric data from customers, such as facial features and hand measurements. According to the suits, this data was retained and utilized to train AI systems, along with personally identifiable information like names and addresses.

One lawsuit claims that Coco Robotics failed to disclose to customers that their devices would scan and collect information, potentially violating Illinois privacy laws. The other lawsuit further alleges that remote human operators could watch the delivery and scanning process in real-time, further infringing on customers' privacy.

The plaintiffs also claim that their biometric data was sold to third parties, including OpenAI, without their consent. The companies provide robotic delivery services for popular food delivery platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Both Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics have denied the allegations, stating that the data collected is navigational and shared with third parties to enhance their services. The companies maintain that they do not collect biometric data or create biometric profiles.