Unico accuses Serasa of misusing biometric data from millions of Brazilians
Unico, a biometric identity firm, accused Serasa Experian of improperly accessing and using facial recognition and biometric data from millions of Brazilian bank customers without authorization. The case triggered a criminal warrant executed against Serasa in São Paulo, with both civil and criminal actions filed.
What happened
Unico accused Serasa Experian of improperly using Unico's technology to access and make millions of queries involving facial recognition and biometric data of Brazilian customers of banks that are Unico clients.
Serasa allegedly accessed the biometric data through Skill Tecnologia, a firm authorized to use Unico's platform exclusively in Banco do Brasil operations. The data was reportedly used by Serasa and ClearSale (acquired by Serasa in 2025) to improve their identification systems and expand their database of valid identities.
A criminal search and seizure warrant was executed against Serasa by criminal experts in São Paulo on 11 June 2026. The case involves both civil and criminal actions and is being handled under court secrecy.
Reported impact
According to people with knowledge of the allegations, millions of Brazilian bank customers' facial recognition and biometric data were accessed and used without authorization by Serasa and ClearSale.
Governance controls
Serasa Experian denied the accusations and stated that it "operates with strict observance of applicable legislation" and will present its defense when the court process allows it to access the details.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.