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).
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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.
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]