Six Flags Can No Longer Collect Thumbprint Data Without Consent

During a thumbprint scan a lot of biometric data is collected. And if not for rulings like this, information you never knew someone had could be shared anywhere.

At the center of this Illinois Supreme Court ruling is Stacy Rosenbach who bought her son a season pass, in 2014, to Six Flags online and during his first trip to use his pass, according to Stacy, Six Flags took a thumbprint scan of her underage son without her consent. According to NewsChannel20.com, a lower court ruled that the thumbprint collection didn't cause direct injury or a negative effect. That ruling didn't sit well with Stacy or her lawyer, so they took the argument to the Illinois Supreme Court. The court ruled in their favor.

According to the ACLU, the 2008 Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) allows individuals to control their own biometric data –fingerprints, iris scans, facial scans, and other unique biological information that can be used for identification. The law prohibits private companies from collecting a person’s biometric information unless they first inform the person of the data to be collected and how it will be stored, used, and shared. They must then obtain the person’s written consent.

After Friday's (1/25/19) ruling, Senior Staff Counsel Rebecca Glenberg of the ACLU of Illinois said:

Today’s ruling protects Illinoisans’ right to control their own fingerprints, iris scans, and other crucial information about their bodies. This is exactly what the General Assembly had in mind when it enacted BIPA.