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Friend app

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Contents9
  1. Consumer-impact summary
  2. Capabilities and data practices
  3. Legal and regulatory environment
  4. Precedents and industry comparisons
  5. Company responses and disputes
  6. Consumer response
  7. Shipment delay (January 2025)
  8. See also
  9. References
Friend app
Basic Information
Release Year 2025
Product Type AI chatbot, wearable
In Production Yes
Official Website https://friend.com/?page=hardware


Friend is a wearable artificial intelligence (AI) pendant device that aims to provide conversation and companionship.

Consumer-impact summary

Users of the Friend device may be subject to continuous recording of video, audio, and biometric data. The company’s policies shift liability for recordings involving bystanders onto users. The device’s data retention, model training, and deletion practices raise questions under evolving biometric data privacy laws such as Illinois’ BIPA and various state-federal frameworks.[1]

There is a one-time payment to get the device. It is unclear how the company will be able to provide ongoing service without a user subscription.

Capabilities and data practices

Friend’s official privacy policy (v2) states that it serves as a “data controller” under GDPR and collects personal data from use of the services.[1]

Key practices include:

  • Collection of name, phone, e-mail, account credentials, uploaded content, and ambient video/audio from device surroundings.[1]
  • Collection of biometric data including facial and 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:

  • NBC Bay Area reported the company claims it "will not store any audio recordings."[2]
  • Wired reported the pendant is always-on and continuously listening for conversation.[3]

The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) requires entities to obtain written consent before collecting biometric identifiers, provide retention schedules, and 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 and similar laws, especially when data is used for AI training.[6] Federal and state regulators increasingly classify biometric identifiers as sensitive data requiring special protection.[7]

Precedents and industry comparisons

The Clearview AI litigation demonstrates how courts treat unauthorized biometric data 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 and 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 and 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 and 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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Friend – Privacy Policy v2" (PDF). Friend. 14 Jun 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Meet the AI startup that wants to give you a friend". NBC Bay Area. 1 Feb 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Wear This AI Friend Around Your Neck". Wired. 15 Mar 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  4. ↑ "Biometric Information Privacy Act". Illinois General Assembly. 2008. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  5. ↑ "The Who, Why, and Where of Biometric Privacy Litigation". American Bar Association. 1 Jun 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  6. ↑ "Biometric Privacy and AI Legal Developments" (PDF). LexisNexis. 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "AI and Privacy: A Look at Biometric Tech & Data". KPMG. 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  8. ↑ "$51.75M Settlement in Clearview AI Biometric Privacy Litigation". Regulatory Oversight. 12 Apr 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  9. ↑ "Privacy – Limitless". Limitless.ai. 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Friend delays shipments of its AI companion pendant". TechCrunch. 20 Jan 2025. Archived from the original on 1 Oct 2025. Retrieved 1 Oct 2025.
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