Disney Hit with Class Action Lawsuit Over New Park Entrance Facial Recognition

Disney Sued in Class Action Lawsuit Over New Park Gates Facial Scans

Disney is facing a new lawsuit following the deployment of its controversial facial recognition technology at park entrances. A newly filed class-action lawsuit accuses the entertainment giant of violating privacy, competition, and consumer protection laws through the implementation of biometric scanning at Disneyland Resort. The legal challenge targets the system’s practice of capturing photographs of guests’ faces at the turnstiles and comparing them to images on file from when they first scanned their theme park ticket or Magic Key pass to verify identity.

Related – Disneyland Confirms Guests Can Opt Out of New Facial Recognition Entry System

Filed in California federal court, the class-action complaint alleges that Disney fails to adequately disclose its biometric collection, leaving consumers—including children—unaware that their highly sensitive data is being captured. While signs featuring a slashed silhouette offer four alternative entrances to bypass the technology, the lawsuit argues this does not constitute meaningful notice. “Guests should be able to expressly opt in to this type of sensitive facial recognition technology with written consent – the onus of privacy rights should not be on the victim,” stated Blake Yagman, attorney for the proposed class.

Disney implemented the facial recognition gates at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure to streamline park entry and prevent ticket fraud. According to its privacy policy, Disney disposes of the biometric data within 30 days unless needed for legal or fraud prevention reasons. However, the lawsuit challenges this claim, arguing it cannot be true if the system must continuously compare scans against images associated with tickets or annual passes over longer periods. The complaint further notes that Disney utilizes biometric data through its MagicBand and PhotoPass programs, creating valuable consumer profiles across its various business arms.

While venues nationwide increasingly adopt facial recognition to manage crowd flow and enhance safety, the mass rollout has sparked widespread concerns over corporate surveillance and data commercialization. In California, businesses may use the technology but must disclose its usage and allow consumers to limit data sharing. Other states enforce much stricter consent mandates. The proposed class action seeks to represent affected park visitors and is pursuing at least $5 million in damages, following a $10 million settlement Disney paid to the FTC over a children’s data collection dispute on YouTube.

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