Local Court’s Landmark Ruling on Biometric Health Case

TL/DR –

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act does not apply to health care professionals in hospitals. This decision was made during a case involving two nurses who sued their employers for using fingerprint-enabled storage for medication. The court found that Illinois law clearly exempts the use of health care professionals’ biometric data in performing medical care, a notable diversion from past rulings where the court sided with individuals alleging unauthorized collection of their biometric information by businesses.

Illinois Supreme Court Limits Scope of Biometric Information Privacy Law

In a recent legal development, the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled restrictions on the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act, considered the strongest in the nation. This landmark decision states that the act doesn’t apply to health care professionals in settings like hospitals, according to Capitol News Illinois.

The case revolved around a lawsuit brought forward by two nurses against their employers. The grievance was about the use of fingerprint-enabled storage for medication, a technology many hospitals have embraced to tackle theft and misuse of particular drugs.

This ruling diverges from previous judgments where the court favored employees and customers alleging businesses of improper biometric information collection. In this scenario, the justices found a clear exemption under Illinois’ law for health care professionals’ biometric data usage in providing medical care.

—
Read More Health & Wellness News ; US News