Google has agreed to pay $85 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that its Google Photos service violated users’ privacy by automatically scanning their photos for faces and other data without their consent..
The lawsuit, filed in 2016, alleged that Google Photos violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which requires companies to obtain written consent before collecting or using biometric data, such as facial recognition data. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that Google Photos scanned their photos without their knowledge or consent and used the data to create a database of their facial recognition templates..
Google has denied any wrongdoing, but it has agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid further litigation. The settlement will provide payments to users who have used Google Photos in Illinois between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022. The payments will range from $200 to $400 per person, depending on how many times they used the service..
In addition to the monetary settlement, Google has also agreed to make changes to its Google Photos service to ensure that it complies with BIPA. These changes include:.
* Obtaining written consent from users before collecting or using their biometric data..
* Providing users with more information about how their biometric data will be used..
* Giving users the ability to opt out of having their biometric data collected or used..
The settlement is a significant victory for privacy advocates, who have long argued that companies should not be able to collect or use biometric data without the consent of the individuals whose data is being collected. The settlement also sends a message to other companies that they need to be transparent about how they collect and use biometric data..
If you are a resident of Illinois and you have used Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, you may be eligible to receive a payment from the settlement. You can learn more about the settlement and how to file a claim at the website of the settlement administrator: https://www.googlephotosclassaction.com/..
