The COVID-19 pandemic has forced much of the American workforce online, where employers are making use of a variety of platforms to facilitate remote work. Some of these platforms involve video recording or access by fingerprint, face scan, or retina or iris scan, which may result in the capture and storage of sensitive biometric information. As workplaces reopen, there may will likely be an uptick in the collection of biometric data as employers turn symptom screening technologies that collect biometric data, such as contactless thermometers that identify particular employees through facial recognition technology, and look tofacial recognition and retina or iris scanning technologies to facilitate contactless security access.
How Biometrics in the Workplace Threaten Employee Rights in Illinois and Elsewhere
Today's computer technology improves exponentially from year to year, putting tiny, yet ever more powerful, computers in the palms of our hands, on our bodies, or even under our skin. With the proliferation of wearable "Internet of Things" devices, many new technologies that track our physical and physiological traits are moving into the workplace - yet, our privacy laws are struggling to keep up. This gap between technology and the law can put employees' privacy rights at risk.
