Judge: Arguments In McDonald’s BIPA Class Action Should Be Handled Separately In State And Federal Courts

The BIPA class action filed against fast-food giant McDonald’s alleging that it used technology to illegally gather its drive-thru clients’ voices while they place their orders is going to be divided and will be heard in federal and state courts. 

McDonald’s Drive-Thru Customers Voices BIPA Class Action Case Split Into Two 

Per the latest news reports, an Illinois court has released an announcement stating the decision that a number of claims forwarded in the McDonald’s BIPA Class Action Lawsuit will have to be entertained in state courts while others will move forward under federal jurisdiction. 

Shannon Carpenter v. McDonald’s Corporation

Filed by lead plaintiff Shannon Carpenter, the McDonald’s BIPA Class Action Lawsuit argues that McDonald’s violated Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act or BIPA with regards to its alleged misdeeds. 

The aforementioned law covers rules and regulations on how companies, businesses, and organizations have to enforce different types of data collection protocols such as informed consent and many more to uphold consumer biometric data privacy. 

She details that the multinational fast-food corporation enforced a nationwide policy on its store locations that warranted the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistants on its drive-thru booths. 

It is said that the mentioned technology was used to gather the voice information of drive-thru clients in which McDonald’s reportedly wanted to use to make its ordering system more efficient and technology-driven. 

Nevertheless, drive-thru customers were purportedly not informed beforehand that their voices are being recorded and stored for McDonald’s use, Carpenter contends. 

In fact, it is believed that the company collected not only drive-thru customers’ voiceprints but also their vehicles’ license plates without asking for prior permission from the rightful owners.

More Information 

The McDonald’s BIPA Class Action Lawsuit aims to form and represent a Class consisting of McDonald’s drive-thru customers from Illinois whose voice information has been reportedly unlawfully collected from them when they placed an order to any McDonald’s location.

McDonald’s has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. 

As of writing, Carpenter’s BIPA violations claims will be heard in state court. On the other hand, the remaining accusations, including illegal biometric data collection and sharing will continue to be handled in a federal court. 

Consider The Consumer will carry on reporting on the ongoing developments of this case.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s or the McDonald’s Corporation is a fast-food restaurant chain founded more than eight decades ago in California. 

According to online sources, the company is one of the most easily recognizable brands globally, with over 30,000 locations worldwide.

In fact, the company has a truly multinational reach as it has a location in all of the six inhabited continents on Earth. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company is currently headed by its CEO Chris Kempczinski.  

Editor’s Note on McDonald’s BIPA Class Action Lawsuit 2021: 

This article features the latest news regarding the class-action lawsuit filed against McDonald’s for allegedly violating Illinois’ BIPA law. 

Case Name(s) & No.(s): Shannon Carpenter v. McDonald’s Corp.; Case No.: 1:21-cv-02906

Jurisdiction: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Products/Services Involved: Consumers Privacy In Biometrics

Allegation(s): McDonald’s reportedly captured customers’ voice clips and car plates using their AI technology – which is equivalent to an infraction towards the Illinois BIPA. 

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