Facebook collects Illinois users' biometric data without consent, $650 million BIPA settlement

Summary

Illinois Facebook users who participated in a $650 million biometric privacy settlement received a third and final payment of $7.20 in early December 2023. The settlement, approved in February 2021, was the result of an 8.5-year lawsuit filed in 2015 by Chicago attorney Jay Edelson on behalf of plaintiff Carlo Licata, alleging Facebook violated Illinois privacy law by using facial recognition without consent. The settlement covered about 7 million Illinois Facebook users who had face templates created after June 7, 2011, with over 1 million claimants receiving a total of about $435 each after three payments. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), passed in 2008, requires companies to obtain consent before using biometric data. The settlement’s remaining funds will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois after the final distribution.