Macy's illegally used Clearview AI's facial recognition technology to monitor its customers, according to a privacy lawsuit filed in Illinois, USA.

The lawsuit claims Macy's used facial recognition with its in-store security cameras without customer consent, running at least 6,000 searches using Clearview AI's system and potentially violating Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which requires clear written consent before collecting biometric data.

The lawsuit seeks USD 1,000 for each negligent violation and USD 5,000 for each intentional violation, as well as requiring Macy's to delete any stored biometric identifiers and cease using the facial recognition service.

Macy's refused to comment on its relationship with Clearview AI, citing a policy of not speaking about pending litigation.