Friend app
Friend is a wearable AI pendant device that claims to provide conversation & companionship.
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Product Type | AI chatbot, wearable |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://friend.com |
Consumer-impact summary
Users of the Friend device may be subject to continuous or passive recording of video, audio, & biometric data. The company’s policies shift liability for recordings involving bystanders onto users. The device’s data retention, model training, & deletion practices raise questions under evolving biometric privacy laws such as Illinois’ BIPA & various state-federal frameworks.[1]
Capabilities & data practices
Friend’s official privacy policy (v2) states that it serves as a “data controller” under GDPR & collects personal data from use of the services.[1]
Key practices include:
- Collection of name, phone, email, account credentials, uploaded content, & ambient video/audio from device surroundings.[1]
- Collection of biometric data including facial & voice recognition.[1]
- Retention of data for over five years if “legal, regulatory, or technical reasons” prevent deletion.[1]
- Use of personal data to train machine learning models powering Friend.[1]
Media reporting highlights possible discrepancies:
Legal & regulatory environment
The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) requires entities to obtain written consent before collecting biometric identifiers, provide retention schedules, & limit data storage.[4] The Illinois Supreme Court’s 2019 *Rosenbach* decision expanded standing for consumers to sue.[5]
Analysts warn that devices like Friend raise risks under BIPA & similar laws, especially when data is used for AI training.[6] Federal & state regulators increasingly classify biometric identifiers as sensitive data requiring special protection.[7]
Precedents & industry comparisons
The Clearview AI litigation demonstrates how courts treat unauthorized biometric collection. In 2025, Clearview agreed to a US$51.75 million settlement resolving claims under BIPA.[8]
Competitor devices, such as the Limitless pendant, advertise a more limited data policy, not permitting ambient biometric capture.[9]
Company responses & disputes
The company asserts that:
- Friend does not store audio recordings permanently.[2]
- Data deletion requests can be submitted, though model training may make deletion incomplete.[1]
Operational issues have been reported: the company delayed initial shipments announced for Q1 2025 until at least Q3 2025.[10]
Consumer response
Consumer advocates & analysts have identified key risks for consumers:
- Constant ambient recording of private environments.[3]
- Shifting liability to users for privacy violations of third parties.[1]
- Biometric sensitivity: face & voice identifiers are permanent.[7]
- Risk that deletion requests are ineffective once data is used to train AI models.[1]
Shipment delay (January 2025)
Friend announced initial shipments to pre-order customers in Q1 2025 but later delayed deliveries until Q3 2025.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Friend – Privacy Policy v2" (PDF). Friend. 2025-06-14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Meet the AI startup that wants to give you a friend". NBC Bay Area. 2025-02-01. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Wear This AI Friend Around Your Neck". Wired. 2025-03-15. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ "Biometric Information Privacy Act". Illinois General Assembly. 2008. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ "The Who, Why, and Where of Biometric Privacy Litigation". American Bar Association. 2025-06-01. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ "Biometric Privacy and AI Legal Developments" (PDF). LexisNexis. 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "AI and Privacy: A Look at Biometric Tech & Data". KPMG. 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ "$51.75M Settlement in Clearview AI Biometric Privacy Litigation". Regulatory Oversight. 2025-04-12. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ "Privacy – Limitless". Limitless.ai. 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Friend delays shipments of its AI companion pendant". TechCrunch. 2025-01-20. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-01.