Illinois Facebook Users: Settlement Checks To Go Out This Week
You may have been wondering about this for a while. You took part in the class-action suit against Facebook, you were told that your side would be receiving nearly $400 each, but so far you've seen nothing except for delays.
So, what's the deal? Are you ever going to see that money? And, if you do, will you be taking a photo of yourself like these people? (please, say no)
1.6 Million Illinois Facebook Users Are Set To Receive $397.00 Each From The Settlement Of A Lawsuit Against Facebook
Just to recap, in case you either hadn't heard about this or it's been so long that you've forgotten, the lawsuit accused Facebook of violating an Illinois privacy laws by failing to get consent before using facial-recognition technology to scan photos uploaded by users to create and store faces digitally.
Facebook users in Illinois sued Facebook claiming that its “Tag Suggestions” feature and other features involving facial recognition technology, violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). That law says companies can't collect, store, or give out "biometric data," which includes things like face or fingerprint scans, without first giving notice and getting consent.
Enough background, let's get to the money part.
You've Been Hanging In There Waiting For Your Check, And It Looks Like This Week Is The Week You'll Finally Get It
When the settlement was announced, the criteria for receiving a payment was:
- Illinois Facebook user, located in Illinois
- Must have been a resident of Illinois for at least 183 days (six months)
- User for whom Facebook created and stored a face template after June 7, 2011
- Claims must be filed by November 23, 2020
Assuming that you're part of the group of 1.6 million Illinoisans who joined in the lawsuit, word has it that direct deposits will be sent out starting today, May 9th, 2022. In case the electronic deposit doesn't work, the claims administrator says that they'll send checks.
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