Illinois was the first state to regulate biometric data when it enacted the Biometric Information Privacy Act in 2008. Since then, only Texas, Washington and California have passed laws governing the collection and storage of biometrics.

While biometric-specific laws are a rarity in the U.S., the collection and sharing of such data is far from uncommon. From granting security clearances to board planes to unlocking a cellphone to send a text message, face scans, thumbprints and other biometrics are being leveraged by the public and private sector at an increasing rate.