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

Two Chicago men are suing delivery robot companies Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics for allegedly collecting their biometric information without consent.

The two separate class action lawsuits were filed earlier this month. Both claim that the robots' external cameras and internal LiDAR technology are used to scan and collect measurements of customers' faces and hands as they approach the devices. That data was then retained and used to train AI systems, according to the plaintiffs, and attached to personally identifiable information like names and addresses.

One suit filed against Coco Robotics claims the company didn't disclose to customers that its device would scan and collect information, thereby violating Illinois privacy laws. It also extends the privacy violation claim to the use of remote human operators, who were allegedly able to watch the delivery and scanning in real-time.

The two cases similarly hinge on the fact that neither customer chose to use delivery robots will ordering food, but were instead assigned to robots by the company after placing their orders. Their data was then sold to third parties, including OpenAI, the plaintiffs claim. The lawsuits cite company disclosures indicating that video and sensor data can be licensed for AI training.

Both Serve Robotics and Coco Robotics provide robotic delivery services for popular food delivery platforms, including DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. The companies have denied the claims in the lawsuits, stating that the data they collect is navigational and shared with third parties to improve their services.

"This lawsuit fundamentally misunderstands our technology, we have not collected biometric data in Chicago," a spokesperson for Coco Robotics said in a statement.

A Serve Robotics spokesperson said that the company does not use sensor data to identify customers or create biometric profiles.