Biometric Data Privacy: Instagram to Pay $68.5M in Class Action Settlement

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, is facing a class action lawsuit focused on biometric data privacy. The lawsuit (Parris v. Meta Platforms, Inc.) alleges that Instagram collected and stored users’ biometric data in violation of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The company denies any wrongdoing, but it has agreed to pay a $68.5 million settlement.Individuals who used Instagram between Aug. 10, 2015, and Aug. 16, 2023, may be entitled to a piece of the settlement. The final approval hearing for the settlement will take place on Oct. 11.As biometric data continues to proliferate, regulations are evolving, companies must work to remain compliant, and individuals must consider what they can do to protect their data.Illinois LegislationBIPA went into effect in 2008. “Illinois’ BIPA is the first of its kind in the US and remains the most stringent,” says Eve Maler, chief technology officer of identity and access management software company ForgeRock.Illinois is not the only state to have a biometric data privacy law, but BIPA includes a unique element: private right of action. It allows individuals to file lawsuits against corporations that allegedly violate the law.“Other state biometric privacy laws lack a private right of action, leaving it to
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