Illinois Facebook Users Can Claim Up To $400 In Class Action Suit

ILLINOIS — Illinois Facebook users may be in for a cash payout from Facebook. The social media company has settled a class action lawsuit that claimed Facebook collected and stored facial templates of its users between June 7, 2011, and Aug. 19, 2020, when the settlement was approved. Individuals could be eligible for cash payouts of $200 to $400.

In 2015, lawsuits were filed against Facebook over its use of “face tagging” feature. Plaintiffs claimed that Facebook was collecting biometric information (“face prints”) without getting proper consent required by the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Facebook disputed the allegations.

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge James Donato gave preliminary approval to a $650 million settlement, out of which class members can claim money. Facebook has also agreed to change its practices. It’s not known how much individual class members will receive, but Edelson PC predicts an individual will get $200 to $400. A household with four eligible people could receive as much as $800 to $1,600.

To participate in the settlement, a person need only have been a Facebook user located in Illinois for whom Facebook created and stored biometric information after June 7, 2011. Eligible participants must submit a claim form by Nov. 23, 2020. It takes under two minutes to fill out a claim form online or send it in. More information is forthcoming.

Read more about the class action lawsuit at Facebook BIPA Class Action.