Two Chicago residents filed separate class-action lawsuits on Oct. 9, 2026, alleging that food delivery robot companies Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics collected their biometric data without consent. The lawsuits, filed in Cook County court, claim the companies violated the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act (BIPA) by using cameras and LiDAR technology to scan the faces and hands of customers during deliveries.
The legal action follows the deployment of robot delivery fleets in Chicago, with Coco beginning operations in late 2024 and Serve in September 2025. These operations are part of a city pilot program launched in 2022, which is currently scheduled to expire in May 2027. The lawsuits allege the companies retain video and sensor data to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems and, in some cases, share this information with third parties.
According to the filings, plaintiff Mitchell Breidinger alleged a Coco robot recorded his biometric information during a grocery delivery in September 2025. Plaintiff Barry Schain alleged similar data collection by Serve Robotics, most recently during an Oct. 4, 2026, delivery. The lawsuits seek statutory damages of $1,000 per negligent violation or $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation. Both companies denied the allegations, stating their technology is designed for safe navigation and does not create biometric profiles for identification.
For an individual household, this could result in a payment if they are identified as part of the class, while the companies would face costs that could influence the feasibility of autonomous delivery in urban areas. Residents may notice changes in how they interact with delivery robots, such as new digital waivers or physical signs, or a change in the availability of the service itself. A person receiving a delivery would currently notice that they must stand near the robot to enter a code, which the lawsuit alleges is when the scanning occurs.
The outcome of these cases may set a precedent for how AI-driven hardware interacts with state-level privacy laws. Knock-on effects could influence the Chicago City Council’s decision on whether to extend the delivery robot pilot program beyond May 2027. Public pushback has already occurred, including a petition with over 4,500 signatures and an online survey in the 1st Ward where 83 percent of respondents opposed robot expansion. What happens next depends on the Cook County court proceedings; the companies have indicated they will defend against the suits, but specific hearing dates were not reported.