S.T.O.P. Warns 23andMe Breach Shows Danger Of Biometric Payment Tools

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For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Warns 23andMe Breach Shows Danger Of Biometric Payment Tools (New York, NY 12/5/23) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, warned that the breach of 6.9 million profiles hacked from genetic testing company 23andMe shows the danger of the growing rush to adopt biometric payment systems and other forms of biometric collection. Hackers gained access to customers’ geographic locations, ancestry trees, birth years, health information, and genetic data. The civil rights group renewed its opposition to Amazon’s growing use of biometric tracking and palm print readers for payments and check out at stores. SEE: The New York Times - Data Breach at 23andMe Affects 6.9 Million Profiles, Company Says https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/us/23andme-hack-data.html “If someone takes your credit card, or even your social security card, you can always change your number, but you can’t change your DNA,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “The growing number of companies turning to biometric data collection are putting their customers at risk. When Amazon tells us to ‘pay with our palm’ they never tell us what we can do if our palm print is hacked. The next time someone asks you to use your body to make a payment, opt for cash instead.” SEE: The Daily Beast - Cops Might Already Have Your DNA, Without Your Consent https://www.thedailybeast.com/cops-might-already-have-your-dna-without-your-consent In May, S.T.O.P., Peter Romer-Friedman Law PLLC, and Pollock Cohen LLP filed a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that Amazon and Starbucks illegally failed to notify customers using Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology in New York City that the software collects biometric data on customers. The class action also claims that the companies illegally shared those customers’ biometric data. The lawsuit is the first in the country under New York City’s 2020 biometric privacy law, which requires stores to notify customers whenever biometric data is collected. SEE: Press Release - Class Action Claims Starbucks Illegally Hid Biometric Surveillance From Some NYC Customers and Illegally Shared Customers’ Biometric Data With Amazon https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/5/4/class-action-claims-starbucks-illegally-hid-biometric-surveillance-from-some-nyc-customers-and-illegally-shared-customers-biometric-data-with-amazon Press Release - Class Action Claims Amazon Illegally Hid its Biometric Surveillance From Go Store Customers in NYC https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/3/16/class-action-claims-amazon-illegally-hid-its-biometric-surveillance-from-go-store-customers-in-nyc The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved.