Several companies including Google, Facebook, and Snapchat are recently sued for violating the privacy policies of individuals who are using their sites for different purposes. Recent announcements show that Google has to pay off 100 million dollars as compensation for a class-action settlement to the residents of Illinois for violating their privacy rights.
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What is Google Illinois Settlement?
Google claims state that they are violating the Biometric Information Privacy Act through a Google Photos app. The users use it as a facial regrouping tool. Google used hundreds of photos of faces to spot similar faces via photography. However, the complaint lodged against them was for their inability to take informed consent before matching their faces with others.
For this erroneous action, Google is being sued by the app users from 1st May 2015 to 25th April 2022. However, it is still not clear if everyone will get payments although in a similar class-action settlement; Facebook is paying off $200 to $400 each to all the 1.6 million Facebook users involved in the lawsuit. The pay depends on the number of claims and also on their validity.
The final settlement list will come up on 24th September. If you want the compensation, you must submit your claim form by then
How to apply for a Google settlement application?
To apply for the Google claim settlement, here is what you must do.
STEP 1: Click on the given link to start filling out the Google claim settlement form.
STEP 2: Click on the grey tab that asks you to click on it to locate your claim ID. If you choose the first button that says you have the claim ID click on it. By using it, you would have to fill the claim application.
The next tab, however, is for those who do not have a claim ID and still want to file the claim form.
After choosing the right option, click on the Begin claim option to start the application process.
STEP 3: In the next step start filling the form by adding your personal details like name, mailing address, and email address. After filling up the entire information, click on the Next tab to move to the next section.
STEP 4: In the next tab, you will have to fill in your payment information using which Google can pay you the amount you deserve from the claim.
Once done with filling up the form, click on the Submit Claim tab to confirm the application.
What are the Application Requirements?
You must apply for your claim if you have used the app during the given span of time.
Who is Eligible for Google Illinois biometric settlement?
Anyone residing in Illinois can claim their compensation from the Google Illinois biometric settlement.
Google settlement claim Illinois Application Form
The Illinois Google Settlement application form is available online and one can fill it out online. The link to the form and the site is here.
How many people live in Illinois?
The claim will be available to only those residents of Illinois who have rightfully uploaded their photographs in the app and have proof of it.
As of 2020, Illinois’s population is 1.27 crores plus. But the claim settlement will be applicable to only those Google photo app users who uploaded their photos during the stipulated period mentioned in the claim. Those people who uploaded their photos through the app to match them with millions of other people to find a face similar to theirs are eligible for the claim.
Conclusion
Millions of people are going to receive claim compensation from Facebook and Snapchat. If Google’s final verdict comes in favor of the people who lost their right to privacy, they will be eligible for the claim amount. The Biometric Law states that private sector companies and organizations cannot collect and store biometric data from unsuspecting citizens. This is applicable to organizations within the state or even online organizations, irrespective of their business location. If found guilty citizens have the right to sue the organization, and this very law has begun a lot of legal battles between big tech giants and the common man. Read more about Google’s class-action settlement details for Illinois citizens.
