Coffee Meets Bagel Collects, Shares Illinois Users’ Facial Geometries Without Consent, Class Action Alleges

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action alleges that dating app Coffee Meets Bagel unlawfully collects and shares Illinois users’ facial geometries captured through its account verification process.

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

The 12-page case says that when a consumer wants to set up a Coffee Meets Bagel account, the app asks them to upload a selfie. The app then scans the photograph to create a “biometric template” of the user’s face, which is compared to the pictures posted on their dating profile to verify their identity, the lawsuit explains.

However, according to the lawsuit, Coffee Meets Bagel fails to obtain users’ consent and provide certain mandatory disclosures before capturing their facial geometries in violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), a state law designed to regulate private companies’ use of residents’ unique and permanent biometric identifiers.

The suit explains that under the BIPA, a company must inform consumers in writing that it intends to collect their biometric data and obtain their written consent before capturing such information. The plaintiff, an Illinois resident who opened a Coffee Meets Bagel account in 2022, says the defendant made no mention of its biometric data collection practices and never asked for permission to capture his facial geometry.

Per the complaint, Coffee Meets Bagel also failed to publish publicly available information about how long users’ biometric data will be retained and when it will be destroyed, as mandated by the BIPA. Instead, the defendant illegally keeps users’ facial geometries long after the data is no longer needed for identity verification purposes and for more than three years after an individual’s last interaction with the dating app, the filing alleges.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that although the BIPA requires that companies secure consumers’ consent before disclosing their biometric information, Coffee Meets Bagel has shared “thousands” of face templates belonging to Illinois residents with several “third-party service providers” without authorization.

“Coffee Meets Bagel’s unlawful collection, obtainment, storage, and use of its users’ biometric data exposes them to serious and irreversible privacy risks,” the complaint stresses. “For example, if Coffee Meets Bagel, or its third-party affiliates, [sic] database containing facial geometry scans or other sensitive, proprietary biometric data is hacked, breached, or otherwise exposed, Coffee Meets Bagel users have no means by which to prevent identity theft, unauthorized tracking or other unlawful or improper use of this highly personal and private information.”

The lawsuit looks to represent any Illinois residents who had their biometric information collected by Coffee Meets Bagel within the past five years.

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.