Illinois relaxes biometric privacy law so snafus won't cost businesses billions

Illinois amended its Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) to keep existing fine levels but count multiple distributions of an individual’s biometric data as a single violation, a change expected to significantly reduce damages in lawsuits. Legal and policy reactions are mixed: business-aligned groups welcome the reduction in potential penalties, while critics argue it weakens privacy protections, with context provided by cases such as Meta’s $550 million settlement and other mixed litigation outcomes.