Biometric Transparency and Privacy Act signed into law
Biometric Transparency and Privacy Act signed into law
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 13:49:00
Source Domain: spectrumlocalnews.com
A new bill that prohibits the collection, use and sale of biometric identifier information in commercial settings in Erie County has been signed into law. The county is the first in New York to enact such a law.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz signed the “Biometric Transparency and Privacy Act,” saying it is intended to “promote transparency and protect the public.”
“This law creates a safer community for all by protecting a person’s most basic and unique features – their face and biometric data,” Poloncarz said in a statement. “Along with our legislature, our administration was able to come up with a local law that we believe is one of the strongest in the country. It is something we are very proud of because we believe it is going to be the standard going forward.”
This comes after Wegmans recently said some stores are using the technology to help with misconduct and retail theft, and that it doesn’t collect other biometric data and disposes of the images and video after security purposes are fulfilled.
Democratic Legislator Lawrence Dupre said that he first proposed the legislation to make any retailer using the technology more transparent.
“You can reset a password. You cannot reset your face,” said Dupre. “Your face is yours. It is not a data point for a corporation to collect and sell. As of today, that practice is banned in Erie County. This law does not ban security cameras. It does not ban loss prevention. The line it draws is between a security camera and a biometric database. A store can record video for security. What it cannot do is run facial recognition software to build a profile of every customer who walks through the door.”
According to the law, companies and businesses found in violation could face fines of up to $5,000 a day, following a 30-day cure period.
Government agencies, when acting within their governmental duties, and financial institutions are exempt, the law states.
“This started with a simple question: does a store have…
