Laws & Policy
Biometric data
Body-based information used to identify someone, such as a face scan, a fingerprint, or a voiceprint. A photo is not always a biometric.
- Parents
- Businesses
- Policymakers and staff
This is general information, not legal advice.
What parents should know
Biometric data is body-based information used to recognize someone: a face template, a fingerprint, a voiceprint. A casual photo is not always a biometric. A scan built to identify that person is. There is no single US biometric statute. Illinois has a well-known one. Voice and photos can also be personal information under COPPA.
On this page
What is biometric data?
The sensitive part is the template, the measurement a system compares later to say this is the same person. Fingerprint unlock, face unlock, and a voiceprint used as a login are the everyday examples. A video call that is not used to identify you is a different thing from a face geometry stored for recognition. Read the product's actual use, not the word biometric on a slide.
Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act is a state law with consent and retention duties. It is not national. Other states have their own versions or none. COPPA still treats a child's photo and voice recording as personal information when the operator collects them, even when a biometric statute does not apply.
Why biometric data matters
Biometrics are hard to change. A password can be reset. A face cannot. Children's products should be slow to collect a template, and parents should notice if a toy or an app asks to scan a face for login.
Voice on HeyOtto is available. The product is not voice-first. Kids type and read first. This page does not describe a face-scan login or a voiceprint used to identify the child. Voice cloning is a different risk, covered on its own page.
How it shows up in practice
- A tablet offers face unlock for a child's profile.
- An app asks to store a voiceprint so it can tell siblings apart.
- A school tool proposes facial recognition at the door. That is a policy decision, not a glossary checkbox.
- A parent separates a voice chat, which is audio, from a voiceprint, which is an identifier.
How HeyOtto helps
Biometric data is body-based information used to identify someone, such as a face scan or a fingerprint. HeyOtto does not describe face recognition or fingerprint login on this page. Voice, when it is on, is Otto speaking. It is not a copy of a real person's voice.
- Kids type and read first.
- This page does not claim a biometric ID product.
- Parents can read chats, including what was said by voice if voice was used.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Is every photo biometric data?
No. A photo can be personal information without being a biometric template. The template is the measurement used to identify someone later. Both can be sensitive. They are not identical.
Is there one US biometric law?
No. Illinois BIPA is a leading state statute. Other states differ. COPPA still covers a child's photo and voice as personal information. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does HeyOtto clone voices?
No. HeyOtto does not offer voice cloning. See the voice-cloning page for that risk.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Law entries are reviewed every quarter.
This is general information, not legal advice.