Beware the Fine (Thumb) Print: Insurance Coverage for Class Actions Under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and Similar Biometric Privacy Statutes

Since July 2017, national, regional and local businesses operating in Illinois have been hit with a virtual storm of class actions under the Illinois Biometrics Privacy Act (“BIPA”), 740 ILCS 14 et seq.  BIPA regulates how businesses may record and store biometric data from customers or employees, and these actions create the potential for significant losses, including the costs of defending class action litigation and potential awards of statutory damages. Defending, settling and paying judgments…