March 1 (Bloomberg) — Northern District of California Judge James Donato approved a $650 million privacy settlement of a class action lawsuit against Facebook and ordered Facebook to pay the 1.6 million members in Illinois who submitted claims as soon as possible.
The lawsuit in question alleged that Facebook’s Tag Suggestions tool scanned faces in users’ photos and provided tags, and that the tool stored biometric data without users’ consent.
Under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, consumers will be able to sue companies that collect and store their biometric data, including faces and fingerprints, without the user’s permission.
In 2018, the case became a class action lawsuit. in 2019, Facebook changed its facial recognition platform to opt-in only.
Due to the large number of suitors, the three plaintiffs named in the lawsuit will each receive $5,000, and the others in the class action will each receive $345.
Judge Donato said the settlement was a “landmark result” and a “significant victory for consumers in the highly controversial area of digital privacy.
Later, Facebook said in a statement, “We are pleased to have reached a settlement that will allow us to resolve this issue in the best interests of our community and shareholders.”
Attorney Jay Edson said, “This is a big deal. It sends a pretty clear message that biometric privacy rights are here to stay in Illinois.”
Recent Comments