NEW YORK — Summer Christine Duffield filed a proposed class-action lawsuit this month against Disneyland Resort seeking at least $5 million, alleging the park failed to disclose its use of facial recognition technology and collected sensitive biometric data on guests. The complaint alleges that Disneyland Resort gathers visitors' biometric information without adequate consent in violation of privacy and consumer protection laws.

Walt Disney Co. rolled out facial recognition technology in late April across Disneyland Resort to verify tickets. The system scans guests' faces, converts them into numerical identifiers and matches them with ticket data. According to Disney's privacy policy, the identifiers created for identification are deleted within 30 days unless they need to be kept for legal or fraud-prevention purposes.

Disney's website states: "This technology facilitates ease of reentry into our parks and helps prevent fraud." Signs at the security checkpoint entrances say "Use of this technology is optional." Guests who do not want to use the technology can enter through a separate entrance marked with a silhouette of a head and shoulders with a slash through it. During an April visit, only four entrance lines out of dozens at Disneyland and California Adventure did not use facial recognition.

Duffield visited Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on May 10. The complaint alleges Disney scans parkgoers' faces at the two parks and compares the images to photos taken when guests first used their tickets or annual passes. It further alleges that Disney gathers biometric data through MagicBand and PhotoPass and uses this information to build detailed consumer profiles across its businesses.

"Disney does not adequately disclose the use of their biometric collection, so consumers — which almost always include children — have no idea that Disney is collecting this highly sensitive data," the lawsuit states. It also states: "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." The complaint notes that other companies have turned over biometric data to law enforcement.

"People are getting fed up with being force-fed new tech, new AI, new tracking tools," said Ari Waldman, a professor of law at UC Irvine. Disney paid $10 million last year to settle a Federal Trade Commission complaint over the collection of children's data on YouTube videos.