A class-action lawsuit against Amazon was filed on Thursday, alleging that the corporation failed to warn Amazon Go customers that they were being videotaped at the facility in New York City.
An Amazon Go customer filed a class-action complaint against the business, claiming it failed to disclose to customers that they were collecting their biometric data, Gizmodo reports.
The Amazon Go Store Allegedly Failed To Comply With New York City Regulations
The lawsuit claims that Amazon broke the Biometric Identifier Information Law, which was passed in 2021 and mandates that all businesses in New York City show signs warning patrons that their biometrics are being recorded.
It is notable that customers at Amazon Go stores have their palms scanned, and cameras with algorithms running on them can detect the distinct size and shape of a customer's body.
The establishments have violated the city's 2021 Biometric Identifier Information Law, which compels companies to post signs informing customers of biometric surveillance, despite gathering this data, the complaint claimed.
Rodriguez Perez, the plaintiff, asserts in the case that he wrote to Amazon on February 7 to let the firm know that its Amazon Go store at 80 Pine Street lacked a clearly visible sign.
He asserts that by gathering clients' biometric identifying information without putting a sign informing them, the store was breaking the legislation of the city.
According to Perez, the business ignored his letter, and no sign was put up outside the entrance right away, according to the lawsuit.
The city statute is only mentioned in this second federal case, but both planned class actions target Amazon and criticize its palm-print scanning technology.
Additionally, each claim sought at least $500 for each negligent breach of a class member's rights, Bloomberg Law details.
It is also important to note that the city's biometrics ordinance allows for fines of up to $5,000 for willful or negligent violations.
According to the lawsuit, Perez is also asking for a jury trial and is suing Amazon for damages on behalf of himself and other consumers whose rights were allegedly infringed.
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Amazon Denies The Claims of The Lawsuit
The accusations are incorrect, and Amazon disputes them, according to a spokesman who issued a statement through email.
According to the spokesperson, the firm does not utilize facial recognition technology in any of its stores, Gizmodo writes.
The spokesman made it clear that only customers who sign up for Amazon One and decide to identify themselves by placing their hand over the Amazon One device would have their palm-biometric data securely gathered.
In 2019, Amazon inaugurated its collect-and-go store in New York City, which was designed to allow customers to purchase without having to approach a cash register or interact with a cashier.
The business claims it tracks consumers' "virtual carts" to record when they add an item to their cart or remove it from the tab by fusing computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor data.
Consumers can access the store by scanning a QR code on their Amazon app, scanning their associated credit card, or by hovering and scanning their palm over the scanner while logged into their Amazon account.
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