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Illinois Snapchat users may be eligible to file a claim as part of a $35 million class action settlement.
Snap Inc., Snapchat’s corporate parent, is accused of violating the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act by collecting users’ biometric information using those features without complying with the act’s requirements. The settlement was reached after a court did not find in favor of either the company or the plaintiffs.
The settlement’s website says residents who used lenses or filters offered by the social media company between Nov. 17, 2015, and now may be entitled to a payment — but the claim deadline is Saturday.
Claims must be submitted by Nov. 5 in order to receive the money if the settlement is approved. A final approval hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17.
EX-APPLE EMPLOYEE ADMITS DEFRAUDING THE COMPANY OF $17M
FILE PHOTO: Snapchat logo is seen in this illustration taken July 28, 2022. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo / Reuters)
Eligible Illinois residents could receive payouts of between $58 and $117, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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FILE PHOTO: The Snapchat messaging application is seen on a phone screen August 3, 2017. (REUTERS/Thomas White/File Photo / Reuters)
According to NBC 5 Chicago, a spokesperson denied that its lenses violated BIPA.
Snapchat logo is seen displayed on a phone screen in this illustration photo taken in Poland on November 29, 2020. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“We deeply value the privacy of our community, and Snapchat Lenses do not collect biometric data that can be used to identify a specific person, or engage in facial identification. For example, Lenses can be used to identify an eye or a nose as being part of a face, but cannot identify an eye or a nose as belonging to any specific person,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “Moreover, even the limited data that is used to power Lenses is never sent to Snap’s servers — the data never leaves the user’s mobile device. And while we are confident that Lenses do not violate BIPA, out of an abundance of caution and as a testament to our commitment to user privacy, earlier this year we rolled out an in-app consent notice for Snapchatters in Illinois.”
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Snap did not return FOX Business’ request for comment.
