The Walt Disney Company is currently embroiled in a class-action legal battle concerning its implementation of facial recognition technology at the entrances of its Disneyland theme park. The lawsuit alleges that the company has infringed upon the privacy rights of visitors and breached consumer protection regulations.
According to the lawsuit, Disney has not sufficiently disclosed its use of biometric data collection, leaving consumers, including children, unaware of the sensitive information being gathered. The legal action was initiated by New York-based lawyer Blake Hunter Yagman on behalf of Summer Christine Duffield, a California parent who recently visited Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park with her children.
While Disneyland has not responded to CBC News’ queries, a spokesperson for Disneyland Resort, as reported in The Hill, stated that they value and safeguard guests’ personal information and contest the claims made by the plaintiff, asserting that they are baseless.
Disneyland introduced facial recognition technology at the entrances of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in April, citing its benefits in streamlining reentry into the parks and deterring fraudulent activities. The process involves capturing images of visitors at the facial recognition lanes, which are then matched with initial ticket or pass usage records, converted into unique numerical values, and stored for up to 30 days before deletion, unless required for legal or anti-fraud purposes.
Although Disneyland emphasizes that participation in facial recognition is optional, visitors may still have their pictures taken at entrance lanes without facial recognition, with manual ticket verification by staff in such instances. The lawsuit argues that the signage informing guests about the technology is inadequate and easily overlooked, with limited alternative entrance options for those opting out of facial recognition.
The legal filing highlights the risks associated with biometric data being linked to personal identifying information, potentially leading to fraud if compromised. The lawsuit advocates for explicit consent from guests before utilizing such sensitive facial recognition technology, emphasizing the importance of protecting privacy rights.
The class-action lawsuit is seeking a minimum of $5 million US in damages.