Written By Facebook has reached a $725 million settlement over a class-action lawsuit that claimed the company had violated users’ privacy by using their facial recognition data without their consent. If you’re a Facebook user who is eligible for the settlement, you may be entitled to receive a portion of the payout. Here’s what you need to know about how to claim your share of the settlement.
The lawsuit, which was first filed in 2015, claimed that Facebook’s use of facial recognition technology for its “tag suggestions” feature violated Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The law requires companies to obtain written consent before collecting biometric data, including facial recognition data, from users. The lawsuit sought damages for the estimated 7 million Illinois Facebook users whose biometric data had been collected and stored without their consent.
Under the terms of the settlement, Facebook will pay $725 million to settle the lawsuit, which is one of the largest ever for a privacy violation. The settlement was approved by a federal judge in California on February 26, 2021.
If you’re a Facebook user who is eligible for the settlement, you should have received a notification from Facebook with information about how to claim your share of the payout. To be eligible, you must have lived in Illinois for at least six months between 2011 and 2015 and have had a Facebook account during that time.
To claim your share of the settlement, you must submit a claim form by November 23, 2021. You can do this online at the settlement website, www.facebookbipaclassaction.com, or by mail. The claim form will ask for your name, address, and Facebook user ID, as well as your signature attesting to the fact that you’re eligible for the settlement.
The amount of money you’ll receive from the settlement will depend on how many people file claims. If all eligible Facebook users file claims, the payout per person would be about $100. However, if fewer people file claims, the amount could be higher.
It’s important to note that if you choose to claim your share of the settlement, you’ll be giving up your right to sue Facebook over this issue in the future. If you don’t want to give up your right to sue, you can exclude yourself from the settlement by submitting a request to do so by November 23, 2021.
In summary, Facebook users in Illinois may be entitled to receive a portion of the $725 million settlement over the use of facial recognition technology without consent. To claim your share, you must submit a claim form by November 23, 2021, and if you choose to claim your share, you’ll be giving up your right to sue Facebook over this issue in the future.
