What the Lawsuit Alleged
The Instagram settlement resolved a class action, Parris v. Meta Platforms, alleging that Instagram parent company Meta used facial-recognition technology to collect and store Illinois users biometric data without the disclosure and consent the state biometric privacy law requires. The feature at issue scanned faces in uploaded photos and videos.
Meta had described its facial-recognition feature, which it discontinued in late 2021, as a tool that used templates to help suggest photos and videos. The lawsuit alleged that, in practice, the company captured users biometrics without the informed consent BIPA requires. Meta denied any wrongdoing.
The $68.5 Million Settlement
Meta agreed to a 68.5 million dollar settlement to resolve the claims, without admitting fault. The class covered individuals who used Instagram while in Illinois between August 10, 2015, and August 16, 2023, with attorneys estimating roughly four million Illinois residents could be eligible, and payouts depending on how many valid claims were filed.
The claim form deadline has passed and payments have been distributed, so this settlement is closed. If you are searching for an Instagram lawsuit claim form, it is no longer available for this case.
Meta and Biometric Privacy
This was not Meta first encounter with biometric privacy litigation. In 2020, Facebook, also owned by Meta, settled a separate class action for 650 million dollars over its photo-tagging feature, which plaintiffs said scanned and stored facial geometry without consent. The Instagram case grew from the same underlying technology question: whether scanning faces in photos to power a product feature amounts to collecting a biometric identifier.
Meta has since stepped back from the feature at the center of the dispute, having discontinued the Instagram facial-recognition function in late 2021 and, around the same period, shut down Facebook similar face-recognition system and deleted associated face templates. For anyone searching for the Instagram claim form today, the practical bottom line is that this particular window has closed.
How to Get Legal Help
If you are looking for the Instagram lawsuit claim form, note that the claim deadline has passed, so the form is no longer available and you can no longer file for this settlement. Other Illinois BIPA cases against technology companies continue, so watching for new settlements is the practical step.
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Instagram Lawsuit Settlement: The $68.5 Million Illinois BIPA Case: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about this case and your legal options.
What was the Instagram lawsuit settlement?
A 68.5 million dollar class action settlement in which Meta resolved claims that Instagram collected Illinois users biometric data through facial-recognition technology without consent, in violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Meta denied wrongdoing.
Who was in the class?
Individuals who used Instagram while in Illinois between August 10, 2015, and August 16, 2023. Attorneys estimated roughly four million Illinois residents could be eligible.
Where is the Instagram lawsuit claim form?
The claim form deadline has passed, so the form is no longer available and you can no longer file for this settlement.
How does this relate to Facebook face-recognition case?
Both involve Meta and the same core question of whether scanning faces in photos collects a biometric identifier. Facebook settled its separate photo-tagging case for 650 million dollars in 2020; the Instagram settlement addressed the comparable facial-recognition feature on that platform.
What happened to the feature at issue?
Meta discontinued the Instagram facial-recognition function in late 2021 and around the same period shut down Facebook similar face-recognition system and deleted associated face templates, stepping back from the technology that drove the litigation.