Disney sued over new facial recognition technology at Disneyland entrances

May 21, 2026 - 17:59

The Walt Disney Company is facing a class-action lawsuit over its recent deployment of facial recognition technology at the entrances of Disneyland. The legal action, filed in a California court, alleges that the company is violating state privacy laws by collecting and processing biometric data from guests without their explicit informed consent.

The lawsuit claims that Disney's system, which scans the faces of visitors as they enter the park, effectively creates a digital biometric map of each person. According to the plaintiffs, this practice is a direct violation of California's strict Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires companies to obtain written consent before collecting such sensitive data. The suit argues that the standard terms and conditions agreed to when purchasing a ticket do not constitute proper authorization for this specific technology.

Disney has defended the system as a security measure designed to streamline entry and enhance guest safety. The company insists that the data is encrypted and not stored for commercial purposes. However, critics and the plaintiffs' attorneys argue that the potential for misuse is high, and that the technology creates a surveillance environment without clear safeguards. The case seeks to stop the practice and demands damages for every guest whose face was scanned without proper notification.