We want to make sure you were aware of a major settlement in a class-action lawsuit against Facebook. It means that certain Illinois Facebook users could be in for a cash payout of several hundred dollars.
BUT the deadline for filing a claim is this Monday, Nov. 23. Read our short Q&A below.
What was the class action lawsuit about?
In 2015, Facebook was sued over its “face tagging” feature. The lawsuit accused Facebook of collecting and storing facial templates (“face prints”) of users without getting the proper consent required by state law. Facebook disputed the allegations, but the company has agreed to change its practices, and a federal judge has given initial approval to a $650 million settlement.
How much money could I get?
Lawyers involved in the case say people who file a claim could get $200 to $400, but the actual amounts depend on factors such as how many people file valid claims and the amount of fees and costs deducted from the Settlement Fund.
Am I eligible to file a claim?
You must be…
- A Facebook user for whom Facebook created and stored a face template after June 7, 2011; and
- Someone who lived in Illinois for a period of at least 183 days (6 months) after June 7, 2011.
(Facebook’s facial recognition feature registers the details of a user’s face, and then references it when asking that user if they want to be tagged, or named, in another picture.)
What’s the deadline to file a claim?
Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. This Monday! For more information and to get questions answered, go here. Here’s a link to the claim form. (The claim form is supposed to take only a few minutes to fill out.)
When would I get paid?
The lawyers behind the class action say they can’t give us a date yet. Payments will be made about two months after the settlement gets final approval in court, and that could happen as early as January 7, 2021. However, the lawyers warn that there could be appeals and resolving such actions can take more than a year. So this may require some patience.
