Facebook has agreed to pay $650 million as part of a class action lawsuit settlement involving the illegal use of facial recognition technology.
The amount of each payout should range from $200 to $400, but it could be more or less, depending on the number of valid claims filed.
The settlement only applies to users in Illinois, where a state law requires companies to get permission before using a person’s biometric data.
Facebook was accused of using facial recognition technology to illegally collect and store the biometric data of users in Illinois without telling the user or getting permission, as part of the “Tag Suggestions” feature.
The class includes Facebook users in Illinois for whom Facebook created and stored a face template after June 7, 2011.
This will include many current and former Facebook users who uploaded a photograph of themselves or were “tagged” in a photograph on Facebook after June 7, 2011.
To file a valid claim, you must have lived in the state of Illinois for a period of at least 183 days (6 months).
To get a payment, you have to complete and submit a valid Claim Form no later than November 23, 2020.
Facebook users who want to apply for a payment can do so on this website: http://www.facebookbipaclassaction.com/.