Facebook recently announced a $650 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging the company violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). As part of the settlement, eligible Facebook users in Illinois could receive a share of the $650 million payout, with individual payouts expected to range from $200 to $400.
What is the violation
The BIPA law is a state law in Illinois that regulates how companies can collect, use, and store biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial recognition data, and iris scans. The law requires companies to obtain written consent from individuals before collecting their biometric data and to provide information about how that data will be used, stored, and shared.
According to the lawsuit, Facebook violated the BIPA law by using facial recognition technology to scan and analyze users’ faces without obtaining their written consent or providing them with information about how their biometric data would be used. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook used this technology to create a database of biometric data on its users, which it then used to make recommendations for tagging users in photos and to suggest new friends to users.
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for a share of the $650 million settlement, Facebook users must meet certain criteria. First, they must have lived in Illinois for at least six months between June 7, 2011, and August 19, 2021, and have a Facebook account during that time period. Second, they must have been included in Facebook’s “face templates” database, which means that their biometric data was collected and stored by the company without their written consent.
To apply for a share of the settlement, eligible Facebook users in Illinois must file a claim by November 23, 2021. The claim form requires users to provide their name, email address, and Facebook username, as well as information about when they lived in Illinois and when they had a Facebook account. Users must also confirm that their biometric data was collected by Facebook without their written consent.
Final Thougths
Facebook’s $650 million settlement for violating the BIPA law is a significant development in the ongoing debate over how companies collect and use biometric data. Eligible Facebook users in Illinois have the opportunity to receive a share of the settlement, but they must meet certain criteria and file a claim by November 23, 2021.
