Illinois federal judge overturns $228M damages award in first BIPA case

U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly in Illinois vacated USD228 million in damages awarded in the first-ever Biometrics Information Privacy Act case, Reuters reports. Rail workers alleged that BNSF Railway collected their biometric information without informed consent. The judge upheld the verdict that the company violated the BIPA but said damages were discretionary under the law and ordered a new trial so a jury could determine the appropriate fine. Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times reports state lawmakers and business groups are at loggerheads over potential changes to the current form of BIPA.