Delivery Robots Accused Of Scanning Customers’ Faces, Sharing Biometric
Data
[October 21, 2026]
By KADE HEATHER/Block Club Chicago
The battle over Chicago’s food delivery robots has reached the courts,
with two customers accusing the companies behind them of collecting
their biometric data without consent.
The men filed separate class-action lawsuits in Cook County court Oct. 9
against Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, alleging the companies
violated a state privacy law. They claim the companies’ machines scanned
their faces and hands without their knowledge or consent.
Both companies dispute the allegations.
The lawsuits allege the robots’ cameras and LiDAR — a technology that
sends out laser pulses to measure distances and map the surrounding
environment — captured measurements of customers’ faces and hands as
they approached the machines to retrieve their orders.
Mitchell Breidinger, from the Near North Side, says he ordered groceries
through DoorDash in September 2025 and never chose robot delivery. But
his order was assigned to a Coco robot, according to his lawsuit. When
it arrived, he had to stand close to the machine to enter a code and
retrieve his groceries.
Breidinger alleges the robot’s cameras recorded his face, head and
hands, while its LiDAR sensors measured their geometry. His lawsuit also
alleges a remote operator watched video of the delivery in real time. He
says Coco did not tell him in writing that it would collect his
biometric information, explain how long it would keep the data or obtain
his written consent.
Barry Schain, a Lincoln Park resident, alleges a similar experience with
Serve Robotics. He says he has received three deliveries from Serve
robots, most recently Oct. 4, when an Uber Eats order was assigned to a
robot even though he had not selected robot delivery, according to the
lawsuit.
Both lawsuits claim the companies retain video and sensor data to train
artificial intelligence systems. Schain’s lawsuit also points to Serve’s
disclosures about licensing video and LiDAR datasets to third parties
for AI training. Breidinger’s lawsuit claims Coco has shared
robot-collected data with OpenAI and other third parties.
Customers’ biometric measurements are then stored alongside their names
and addresses in the companies’ data systems, according to the lawsuits,
linking the data to identifiable individuals.
The lawsuits accuse the companies of violating the Illinois Biometric
Privacy Act, which requires companies collecting biometric data to
provide written notice explaining what they collect and why, obtain
written consent and maintain a policy for retaining and destroying the
data.
Spokespersons for both Coco and Serve denied that the companies collect
biometric information from customers or passersby. A Serve spokesperson
said the company “will defend against” the lawsuit, while a Coco
spokesperson said the company is “confident that this frivolous lawsuit
will go away.”
“This lawsuit fundamentally misunderstands our technology, we have not
collected biometric data in Chicago,” the Coco spokesperson said in a
statement, adding that complying with privacy laws is a “top priority”
for the company.
“The data we share is navigational data used to make sidewalks safer for
all users,” the Coco spokesperson continued. “For example, we provide
real-time sidewalk hazard information to BlindSquare, a navigation app
built for people who are blind or have low vision. We do not share data
from the beginning or end of delivery trips under our data sharing
partnerships. Privacy and compliance with the law are top priorities in
everything we do.”
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A Coco Delivery Robot sits in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood on
April 22, 2026. (Jeremy Battle/Block Club Chicago via AP)
The Serve spokesperson said the company’s robots use cameras and
sensors to navigate sidewalks safely.
“Serve does not use that data to identify individuals and our
systems are not designed to identify individuals or create biometric
profiles,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The lawsuits seek statutory damages of $1,000 per negligent
violation or $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation, as well
as other relief.
The lawsuits add to growing scrutiny of delivery robots that have
become a regular sight on Chicago sidewalks, where residents have
raised concerns about safety, accessibility, surveillance and the
potential loss of delivery jobs.
Chicago launched its delivery robot pilot program in 2022 under
former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Coco began operating in the city in
late 2024, followed by Serve Robotics in September 2025. The
program, overseen by the Chicago Department of Transportation and
the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, is set
to expire in May 2027 unless the City Council approves an extension.
Lincoln Park resident Josh Robertson started a petition last year
calling on the city to pause the program until officials release
safety and accessibility data, hold a public hearing and establish
clearer rules. More than 4,500 people had signed the petition as of
last month. Residents have reported robots blocking sidewalks and
crosswalks, creating obstacles for people with disabilities and
raising concerns about cameras recording pedestrians.
The pushback has also reached City Hall. Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st)
rejected plans to expand the robots across much of his ward in
February after more than 83 percent of residents who responded to an
online survey strongly opposed the expansion.
The city has also created a 311 category for residents to report
safety concerns and other complaints about the devices.
In March, a Serve robot smashed through the glass of a CTA bus
shelter in West Town, scattering shards of glass across the
sidewalk. Days later, a Coco robot collided with another bus shelter
in Old Town. Both companies said they were investigating the crashes
and took responsibility for repair costs.
In September, a video showing more than a dozen Coco robots
apparently circling one another and getting stuck on a Lincoln Park
sidewalk went viral, drawing hundreds of thousands of views and
renewing criticism of the technology.
The companies have defended the robots as a safer, more sustainable
option for short distance deliveries that can reduce car trips and
traffic congestion.
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