Facebook-owned Instagram faces a lawsuit that accuses the company of illegally collecting biometric data from users without their knowledge or consent (via Bloomberg).
The lawsuit is Whalen v. Facebook, 20-civ-03346, Superior Court of California (Redwood City).
Instagram Biometric Lawsuit
In July Facebook offered to pay US$650 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of illegally collecting biometric data through a photo-tagging tool used by Facebook users. In a new lawsuit filed on Monday, this allegation involves the biometric data of Instagram users. Facebook only warned of this practice at the start of 2020.
In particular it violates a privacy law in Illinois that forbids the unauthorized collection of biometric data. The law can force companies to pay US$1,000 per violation, or US$5,000 if it can be proven the company acted recklessly or intentionally.
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FB’s Instagram? Illegally taking users’ biometric data? Without their knowledge or consent?
Shocking. Unprecedented. It’s not like this has been a pattern of behaviour.
It’s got to be a misunderstanding.
[Signed, Zuckerbot]