Great news for Illinois residents! Over a million Facebook users in the state are receiving a second payout from the $650 million biometric privacy settlement last year. The social media giant is sending out an additional $30 to users who successfully cashed their initial payment of $397, marking the end of a successful lawsuit against the company.
The lawsuit was initiated due to Facebook’s facial recognition search, which was deemed to be in violation of the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act. The act prohibits companies from collecting fingerprints, face scans, or iris scans without permission. The company was found to be using the biometric data of its users without their consent, sparking outrage among Illinois residents.
This second payout is made possible by the $43 million left over from the settlement after 100,000 Illinois residents filed a claim but failed to cash their first check. The void date of these checks was set for August, ensuring that those who were entitled to compensation received their fair share.
Illinois residents can now rejoice in the fact that justice has been served. Facebook’s actions were a clear violation of their privacy, and it is heartening to see that the company has been held accountable for their actions. This second payout is a reminder that we should all be vigilant about protecting our privacy, and that we should hold companies accountable when they violate our rights.
