People say that the social media app Snapchat collected users’ biometric information without their permission, which is against the HIPAA rules.
A few times before Snapchat was the target of a class action lawsuit that could cost its parent company millions of dollars. The parent company of the social media platform Snapchat-Snap Inc. settles $35 million Illinois class-action lawsuit
According to various sources, Snapchat had agreed to settle the lawsuit by paying USD 35 million to the users from Illinois who used their filters and lenses from 17th November 2015 till date.
Snapchat Settles $35 Million Illinois Class-Action Lawsuit
In order to legally collect biometric data, the company must first obtain the appropriate consent outlining the intended use and retention period. Further, it should also provide complete information about the destruction process of the data.
Several users accused Google of violating the BIPA by using a regrouping tool in the google photos application. Recently in June 2022, it had set a class action lawsuit worth 100 million USD.
Snapchat Is Alleged For Collecting The Biometrics
The lawsuit filed against Snapchat alleged that the app had tried to collect the biometric data of the users without taking any consent. Also, they have violated the BIPA or Biometric Information privacy act of Illinois. Residents of Illinois had filed claims for compensation at snapillionisbipasettlement.com.
The trouble started when users started using Snapchat’s photo filters. Every time user took a selfie or used the filters, the facials got scanned.
How To Know If You Are Eligible For The Payment From The Lawsuit
If you are quite unsure about whether you qualify for the compensation from Snapchat or not, you can talk to the Settlement administrator at Info@snapillinoisbipasettlement.com or call 1-844-939-4343. On November 17, 2022, the case’s last court appearance occurs.
Earlier Google had settled a similar kind of lawsuit.
Google had used a tool to segregate the faces that looked similar in various photographs. According to the lawsuit, the company had not received consent from its users before it used the technology. Illinois residents who used Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, are eligible.
Compensation Amount To Be Received By Snapchat Users
As per the lawsuit, the plaintiffs seek for 5000 USD for violation and USD 1000 per negligent violation. The BIPA prevents private companies from collecting and storing a person’s biometrics without their consent.
Snapchat refuted all the claims that it had stored any biometric data. Snapchat Spokesperson has said that they are quite confident that Lenses have not violated BIPA and there is a huge testament and commitment towards the user’s privacy.
Approximately 88 million people from the US use Snapchat as per the statistics. However, Snapchat claims that roughly 75 percent of people from 20 different countries in the age group 13-15 use Snapchat.
The settlement covers a huge span of time for the Illinois users who used the platform’s features like filters and lenses. Individuals who are quite eligible for claims can submit the request for compensation from 5 November onwards.
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