The Erie County Legislature on Thursday approved the Erie County Biometrics Transparency and Privacy Act in a 7-4 vote, prohibiting private businesses from collecting, storing or selling consumers’ biometric data, including facial recognition, fingerprints and iris scans. The measure carves out exemptions for government agencies, financial institutions and personal device authentication. Violations carry penalties ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per day and will be enforced by the county’s Division of Consumer Protection. Businesses cited under the law will have 30 days to come into compliance. Legislator Lawrence Dupre, Dist. 1, who sponsored the bill, described the measure as a necessary step to “protect the citizens of Erie County,” noting that unlike passwords, biometric identifiers cannot be changed. He argued that private companies should not be building databases of such sensitive information that could later be sold. Supporters said the law draws a clear line between legitimate security uses and the unauthorized collection of personal data. Opponents, including Legislator Lindsay Lorigo, criticized the measure as overly broad. Lorigo instead backed an alternative proposal, the Customer Biometric Privacy Act, which would have required businesses to notify customers of data collection through posted signage rather than banning the practice outright. The legislation follows confirmations from retailers such as Wegmans that they have recently started used facial recognition technology in stores. The law will take effect upon filing with the New York secretary of state.