Google agrees to settle biometrics case for $100 million
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Google LLC has agreed to pay $100 million to settle class-action litigation filed under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act in which it was charged with using its photo app to collect the biometrics of thousands of people without providing notice or obtaining their permission.
The lawsuit, Lindabeth River and Joseph Weiss v. Google, Inc., was first filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2016 and was eventually heard by both state and federal courts, including the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
The settlement agreement, which must receive final court approval, was filed in Cook County Court in Chicago on April 14. The court granted preliminary approval Monday, according to reports.
The class of claimants includes all Illinois residents who appeared in photos in Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and the settlement’s preliminary approval, according to the settlement agreement.
Google said in a statement, “We’re pleased to resolve this matter relating to specific laws in Illinois, and we remain committed to building easy-to-use controls for our users.”
Plaintiffs attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
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