Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at limiting the corporate use of facial recognition technology.

The National Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2020 would require private companies to receive written consent from consumers and employees before collecting biometric data such as eye scans or fingerprints.

In cases where consent was not obtained before collecting that personal data, consumers and state attorney generals would be able to sue.

“We can’t let companies scoop up or profit from people’s faces and fingerprints without their consent,” Merkley said in a statement. “We have to fight against a ‘big brother’ surveillance state that eradicates our privacy and our control of our own information, be it a threat from the government or from private companies.”

"We cannot allow Orwellian facial recognition technology to continue to violate the privacy and civil liberties of the American people," Sanders added.

Thank you Senator Sanders and Senator Merkley for introducing this important piece of legilsation. We have seen the grossly overbearing Patriot Act created by the Bush administration only get expanded upon by the Obama administration. It is crystal clear that both parties have had little interest in protecting us against surveillance and I appreciate Jeff Merkley and Bernie Sanders for fighting the fights that need to be fought. I didn't grow up reading 1984 to lay down and die and let the Orwellian dystopia overtake us. We need to fight back and it's exciting to see leadership on this issue for a change.