EPIC to Maine Legislators: Enact Biometric Privacy Law

EPIC Deputy Director Caitriona Fitzgerald is testifying today before the Judiciary Committee of the Maine State Legislature in support of legislation protecting biometric information privacy. LD 1945 is modeled after the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Passed in 2008, BIPA has been referred to as one of the most effective and important privacy laws in America. EPIC stressed the importance of strong enforcement measures in privacy laws, particularly a private right of action. “The inclusion of a private right of action in LD 1945 is the most important tool the Legislature can give to Mainers to protect their privacy,” EPIC told the Committee. EPIC previously filed an amicus brief in Rosenbach v. Six Flags, where the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously decided that consumers can sue companies that violate the state’s biometric privacy law. [Listen to the hearing]