If you’re a Snapchat user in Illinois, you may have a claim in a new multi-million dollar settlement. class action lawsuit against the social media platform’s parent company.
Allegedly, the social network is accused of violating the Illinois Biometric Data Privacy Act by illegally collecting users’ biometric data, such as illegal facial features – using features like “Lenses” and “Filters” – without their consent. He was arraigned in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in May.
At the center of the lawsuits are Snapchat’s Lens features, which allow users to take a Snap, then select a specific lens and alter facial features with special effects, according to court documents. The lawsuit alleges that Lenses uses technology to create facial scans and “create, retrieve and store” a user’s unique biometric identifiers.
The feature alleges that every time it scans the faces of claimants, it obtains their biometric data without obtaining written consent.
Illinois’ Biometric Privacy Act prohibits private sector companies and institutions from collecting biometric data from unsuspecting citizens in the state or online, regardless of where the business is located. Information may not be sold, transferred or traded. Unlike any other state, citizens can sue some of the world’s most powerful companies for alleged violations, leading to hundreds of David-and-Goliath legal battles.
If a company is found to be in violation of Illinois law, citizens can collect civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, compounded by the number of people affected and the days involved. No state regulatory agency is involved in enforcement.
latest, More than a million Illinois Facebook users began receiving checks after a $650 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging that it violated residents’ rights by collecting and storing digital scans of their faces without permission.
Microsoft, Amazon and Google are also among the companies accused of violations.
How much is the settlement?
A $35 million settlement was reached in the case on Monday, although that amount still has to go through a final confirmation hearing scheduled for November.
Snapchat Inc.’s settlement came after a court did not find in favor of either the company or the plaintiffs, meaning the social media platform did not admit fault.
“Snap continues to vehemently deny that it breached Lenses BEEPSnap is designed to require notice and consent before collecting biometric data used to identify people, a spokesperson told NBC 5 on Monday.
“We deeply value the privacy of our community, and Snapchat Lenses do not collect biometric data that can be used to identify a specific person or to engage in facial recognition. For example, Lenses can be used to identify an eye or a nose that is part of the face, but the eye and or that the nose belongs to any particular person. Furthermore, even the limited data used to trigger Lenses is never sent to Snap’s servers – the data never leaves the user’s mobile device. and as a testament to our commitment to user privacy, earlier this year we rolled out an in-app consent notice for Snapchatters in Illinois.”
Are you eligible to file a claim?
According to the settlement website, any Illinois resident using Snapchat lenses or filters between Nov. 17, 2015 and is now eligible to file a claim.
Because BIPA is an Illinois law, it only applies to state residents.
How do you file a claim? When is the deadline?
The deadline for eligible residents to submit their claims is currently November. According to 5 website dedicated to the settlement.
that’s it how to a file.
