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Bob Tomaso

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After practicing labor and employment law for almost 30 years, Bob easily anticipates problems and strategizes solutions for clients as they navigate the complex area of human resources. As managing partner of the firm’s St. Louis office and a former member of the Executive Board, Bob has spent more than 20 years in senior law firm management positions, providing him a unique perspective that carries over to his clients.

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Conceptual image about how a laptop computer with internet open a virtual door to worldwide information sharing.Keypoint: 2020 promises to be another ground-breaking year in privacy and cybersecurity law in the United States.

2019 was an exciting year in privacy and cybersecurity law. In the United States, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was the most significant story, but there also were developments in states such as New York and Nevada. Numerous other states also considered consumer privacy legislation, and federal lawmakers even jumped into the fray, proposing a variety of bills and regulations. Overseas, GDPR garnered the most headlines of course, but other countries, such as Brazil, also made news.

But 2019 was just the start. There is no doubt that privacy and cybersecurity law is undergoing a fundamental change in the United States. If nothing else, the legal landscape of privacy law in the United States promises to look very different by the end of the year.

Below we discuss what we anticipate will be the biggest stories in 2020 and beyond.

Key Points

  • The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) is the most stringent privacy law in the country providing claimants with a private right of action without alleging actual injury.
  • Recent decisions have held that companies outside of Illinois that collect, store or use information on employees and persons in Illinois are subject to BIPA mandates.
  • Courts have held that notice of the collection of biometric information must be obtained from all persons prior to collection of the biometric information.
  • A recent decision acknowledged that an expansive reading of the statute suggests that each scan of biometric information may constitute a single violation under the BIPA.
  • Union employees subject to a collective bargaining agreement must pursue their BIPA claims in arbitration or before an administrative board.
  • Claims of willful or intentional violation of the new law must be supported by facts.
  • BIPA contains no statute of limitations for actions brought under the law, and the issue of the applicable length of the statute of limitations remains unresolved.

As tech companies race to develop facial recognition software for new applications across industry sectors, including the automotive, cosmetic, and healthcare industries, state legislatures are developing privacy laws to protect individuals’ right to privacy and control over their biometric information. The Illinois BIPA is the most stringent biometric privacy law in the U.S for the following reasons: