If you are an Illinois resident who has used Snapchat within the past 5 years, you can file a claim now in Snapchat’s $35 million lawsuit. Here’s how to file a claim in Snapchat 2022 lawsuit online or via call.
Snapchat’s parent company has reached a multi-million dollar settlement following a class-action lawsuit in 2022 in Illinois as reported by NBC Chicago. The lawsuit accused Snapchat of violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.
The applications to file for a claim in the class action lawsuit is now available for all eligible members of Illinois.
Snapchat is Accused Guilty of Violating the Illinois BIPA
Snapchat was accused of violating Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) by illegally collecting users’ biometric information without their consent as per the court documents. The lawsuit was filed in May in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The act protects the residents of Illinois from unauthorized use of their private data including face scans, fingerprints, retina scans, and more.
The Illinois General Assembly lays out the Biometric Information Privacy Act, states what a private entity (in this case: Snapchat) is allowed to do with that information:
“A private entity in possession of biometric identifiers or biometric information must develop a written policy, made available to the public, establishing a retention schedule and guidelines for permanently destroying biometric identifiers and biometric information when the initial purpose for collecting or obtaining such identifiers or information has been satisfied or within 3 years of the individual’s last interaction with the private entity, whichever occurs first. Absent a valid warrant or subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, a private entity in possession of biometric identifiers or biometric information must comply with its established retention schedule and destruction guidelines.”
As of Monday, August 22, 2022, a $35 million settlement had been reached in the case. However, the amount still needs to go through a final approval hearing which is scheduled for November.
What did Snapchat say about the Illinois 2022 Lawsuit?
NBC Chicago reports that Snapchat has reached a settlement worth $35 million in the class action lawsuit. It also reports that the “court did not find in favor of either the company nor the plaintiffs, meaning Snapchat Inc. does not admit fault.”
A Snapchat spokesperson spoke to the news outlet about the accusations on Monday. “Snap continues to vehemently deny that Lenses violate BIPA, which was designed to require notice and consent before collecting biometric information used to identify people,” he said.
“We deeply value the privacy of our community, and Snapchat Lenses do not collect biometric data that can be used to identify a specific person, or engage in facial identification.
“For example, Lenses can be used to identify an eye or a nose as being part of a face, but cannot identify an eye or a nose as belonging to any specific person.
“Moreover, even the limited data that is used to power Lenses is never sent to Snap’s servers – the data never leaves the user’s mobile device. And while we are confident that Lenses do not violate BIPA, out of an abundance of caution and as a testament to our commitment to user privacy, earlier this year we rolled out an in-app consent notice for Snapchatters in Illinois,” he added.
How to File your Claim in the Snapchat Class Action Lawsuit?
The Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit of DuPage County, Illinois released a notice this past May to all Illinois residents. It states that Snapchat users “who used Lenses or Filters offered by Snap between November 17, 2015, and the present” may be entitled to file a claim.
On Monday, Snapchat reportedly reached the settlement, and the applications to file a claim are open.
The eligible Snapchat users, who are Settlement Class Members, can file a claim by clicking on this dedicated web page to the case. You either also download the application for the claim or request it by calling the Settlement Administrator toll-free at (844) 939-4343.
There is also an option to email the Settlement Administrator at info@snapillinoisbipasettlement.com. The deadline to submit the claim form is November 5, 2022, whether online, via call, or post.
How to Know if you are Eligible to File a Claim in the Snapchat Lawsuit?
Any Illinois resident who used Snapchat Lenses or Filters between November 17, 2015, and the present (class action lawsuit period) is eligible to file a claim. You can use the process shared above to file your claim before the given deadline.
You may have also received an email notification informing you to file your claim in the Snapchat Class Action lawsuit. You can use the Notice ID and Confirmation Code present in it to file your claim. Else, you’ll have to submit the individual claim form.
Your legal rights in the settlement also provide an option to exclude yourself from it. The deadline to do that is October 6, 2022. You are allowed to write to the court by October 6 if you have an objection to the lawsuit.
You can even ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the settlement. We advise you to consult a legal advisor before proceeding in that case.
We’ll keep you updated with further developments in the case.
