Instagram BIPA settlement bill: $68.5M

Jul 22, 2023

Updated • Jul 21, 2023

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In order to settle allegations that Instagram broke Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), Meta agreed to pay money. The Instagram BIPA settlement bill will cost $68.5M to the company. The settlement covers people who used Instagram in Illinois between August 10, 2015, and August 16, 2023.

Instagram is accused of collecting and retaining biometric data about Illinois users without using the appropriate disclosures and consent agreements, which is a violation of their right to biometric privacy, according to the class action lawsuit. According to some, this broke BIPA. Instagram is a Meta software that combines photos and videos with potentially tracking biometric data-using technology.

instagram bipa settlement — Instagram BIPA settlement

Meta collected users' biometrics

When Instagram's face recognition technology was in operation, the firm insisted that it was merely using a user's template to find images and videos of the user throughout Facebook, which Meta also owns, in order to recommend tags, content, and services.

But according to the lawsuit, Meta was also allegedly violating Illinois law by taking users' biometrics (which are biological measurements used to identify an individual) without their knowledge or agreement.

As long as the deal wins final court approval, everyone who utilized Instagram while in Illinois between August 10, 2015, and August 16, 2018, and submits an online claim by late September, will be qualified for a portion of the payment. Judge Angelo Kappas of the DuPage County Circuit Court has already given it his preliminary approval.

Depending on how many people file claims and how long a user utilized Instagram during the designated time period, each user will get a different amount of money.At this time, there are no payment projections available.

Can you use Threads without Instagram?

Once payments have been made to attorneys, taxes, the administration team that managed the settlement, and a group of class representatives who represented Instagram users in court, money will be distributed among the users who submitted claims proportionally to how long they used Instagram.

The exclusion and objection deadline is August 16, 2023. On October 11, 2023, the settlement's final approval hearing is due. Class members must submit a legitimate claim form by September 27, 2023, in order to be eligible for a settlement award.