Residents are now eligible to share in a $100 million class-action settlement after Google was accused of violating the U.S. state of Illinois privacy law. The tech giant has been accused of violating the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act with its Google Photos app’s face-reshaping tool.
Google uses the tool to classify faces found in photos by similarity. However, according to the lawsuit, the company did not obtain the consent of millions of users before using the technology. Therefore, Illinois residents who appear in in-app photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, may be eligible for payment.
It is not clear how much settlement money will be given to individuals. However, Facebook’s similar case has awarded 1.6 million people $200-400 each. The payment amount will depend on the volume and validity of the claim. Payment is expected to be issued 90 days after the settlement is approved. An approval hearing is scheduled for September 28.
Snapchat is also accused of violating Illinois privacy laws in a class-action lawsuit filed last month. It’s unclear when (or if) the case will move forward and potentially lead to a settlement.
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