Overview
- A coalition of privacy groups, artists and City Council sponsors rallied outside Moynihan Train Hall on Friday, Aug. 14 to press passage of Intro 213, known as “Ban the Scan,” which would bar businesses open to the public from using biometric identifiers for surveillance.
- Backers say the proposal now has visible institutional support from the city’s consumer protection commissioner and a majority of Council members and that it would stop venues from scanning faces, irises, voices, fingerprints or gait to identify customers.
- The bill would also restrict selling or sharing biometric data and create a private right of action with damages for intentional or reckless violations, a measure supporters frame as a response to a June breach of MSG customer data and leaked activist files.
- Opponents including some small businesses and security advocates argue biometric tools help prevent crime and support investigations, and City Hall leaders including the Council speaker have not formally endorsed the measure, so the fight will move through legislative debate.
- Supporters warn biometric data is uniquely risky because it cannot be changed, studies show far higher error rates for Black and Brown people, and critics say a Council vote could reshape how private venues across the city handle customers’ faces and other biometric information.