Duff & Maroney to Introduce Bill Banning Facial Recognition in Retail Establishments

HARTFORD, CT — Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) announced they will introduce a bill in the upcoming 2026 legislative session to ban the use of facial recognition technology in retail establishments across Connecticut.

The proposal comes amid growing national concern over consumer privacy and the rapid expansion of biometric surveillance technologies in everyday settings. Facial recognition systems can capture, store, and analyze uniquely identifying biometric data without a customer’s knowledge or meaningful consent, raising serious questions about data security, misuse, and civil liberties.

Recent developments in neighboring states have heightened those concerns. Wegmans Food Markets, which operates stores throughout the Northeast, has posted notices at several New York locations informing customers that personally identifying biometric information, including facial recognition data, may be collected and stored while they shop. According to a recent CT Insider report, it is currently unclear whether the Wegmans in Norwalk, Connecticut, uses facial recognition technology.

The soon-to-be-introduced bill is intended to proactively protect Connecticut consumers before similar practices become widespread in the state. Under the bill, retail establishments would be prohibited from using facial recognition technology on customers, ensuring that individuals can shop without being subject to biometric surveillance.

“Connecticut residents shouldn’t have to worry about giving up information about themselves while grocery shopping,” said Senator Duff. “Facial recognition technology is highly invasive and poses real risks to privacy and trust. This bill will put people first and ensure retailers cannot collect or store personal biometric information about someone just because they walked into a store.”

Senator Maroney, who has been a leader on data privacy and consumer protection issues, emphasized the need for lawmakers to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

“As technology continues to advance, we must be proactive and step in to protect consumers from surveillance they did not consent to,” said Senator Maroney. “Our bill will ensure people can shop for everyday necessities without being unknowingly tracked or having their biometric data collected.”

Consumer advocates have increasingly warned that biometric data, once collected, cannot be changed or reissued like a password or credit card number. If compromised, facial recognition data can expose individuals to long-term privacy and security risks.

The proposal will be part of a broader consumer protection and data privacy package that the senators will introduce during the 2026 session, aimed at strengthening Connecticut’s regulations governing the collection, use, storage, and sharing of personal data. Duff and Maroney say the bill reflects Connecticut’s commitment to protecting residents’ privacy while setting clear guardrails for the responsible use of emerging technologies.

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | Kevin.Coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193