Facebook just paid some Illinois residents a $397 check: Now Google might do the same

Here's how you can file a claim in the Google lawsuit in Illinois

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

My husband received a $397 payout from Facebook recently. When his check showed up in the mail, I wondered where mine was.

That's when I realized, that although he'd sent me the link to file the claim, I forgot all about it and did nothing. So, no check for me.

Now a similar lawsuit is happening in Illinois, but this time with Google. As you can imagine, I've already filled out the necessary forms.

What is the Google lawsuit?

It's a class-action lawsuit similar to the Facebook settlement. According to the lawsuit, Google has violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.

The lawsuit alleges that "Google violated Illinois law by collecting and storing biometric data of individuals who, while residing in Illinois, appeared in a photograph in the photograph sharing and storage service known as Google Photos (“Google Photos”), without proper notice and consent."

Who is eligible?

If you were an Illinois resident with your image in Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, you are eligible to file a claim.

How to submit a claim

Go to this website and click on "submit a claim."

When is the deadline?

You must file a claim by September 24th, 2022. Or, if you want to exclude yourself for some reason from the settlement, you must do so by August 10th, 2022.

How much money will you get?

The settlement fund is $100 million, but it's not known what individual payouts will be. According to NBC Chicago, attorneys expect the checks to be between $200 and $400.

When will payments be sent out?

Unless the appeal process is extended, which might happen, the earliest you could expect to receive your payment is within 90 days after the final approval hearing on September 28th.

According to the frequently asked questions on the attorney website, "No one knows in advance how much each valid claim payment will be until the deadline for submitting claims passes and the Court awards the Fee and Expense Award and Service Payments."

What if you don't file a claim?

If you are eligible to file a claim but do nothing, you will, "remain a member of the Settlement Class and be bound by the Settlement." But you won't get paid.

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