A proposal before the Monroe County Legislature would require businesses including grocery stores, restaurants, and banks to disclose to customers if they use facial recognition technology. The legislation, if adopted, would also prohibit the sale or exchange of biometric data for any reason and require any business that collects the data to destroy it within two years. It does not, however, ban the use of the technology outright. The legislation is sponsored by Democratic legislators including Rachel Barnhart, Ricky Frazier, John Baynes, Nazish Jeffery, and Linda Hasman. Legislature committees are discussing the measure this week. They will decide whether to forward it to the full Legislature for consideration at its July meeting. “Biometric data is fundamentally different from video surveillance, because what it does is it scans your face, and it creates a mathematical template that is then stored, and they can create a profile of you based upon your face,” Barnhart said. “What they then do with that data, we don't know yet.” Barnhart noted an array of concerns with the collection of biometric data, including the potential for a more complex form of identity theft. That concern is also outlined in the proposal. “(Biometric information) is derived from a person’s physical or biological characteristics and may be difficult or impossible to replace if compromised,” the legislation reads. “Unlike a password or credit card number, biometric data is immutable.” The legislation comes as state and local governments grapple with how to regulate the use of biometric surveillance. Last month, Erie County became the first county in the state to outright ban the collection of biometric information, including faces, fingerprints, irises, or voices. The Syracuse Common Council adopted similar legislation in May. “This law creates a safer community for all by protecting a person's most basic and unique features: their