Facial recognition is expensive for Facebook.
A U.S. federal judge has given final approval for Facebook's payment of $ 650 million (roughly $ 540 million) to end a privacy dispute between the California group and 1.6 million users.
"We are happy to have reached a settlement (...), which is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders," responded a spokesperson for Facebook in a written statement.
The decision was made Friday, according to the document consulted Sunday by AFP.
Chicago, Illinois lawyer Jay Edelson sued Facebook in 2015, alleging the social network illegally collected biometric data to identify faces, in violation of an Illinois privacy law. dating from 2008.
At least 290 euros per complainant
At the end of January 2020, Facebook agreed to pay 550 million dollars (460 million euros) after failing to obtain a dismissal in this procedure which took the form of a "class action" ) in 2018 after the initial complaint filed in 2015. But in July 2020, the judge in the case ruled that this amount was insufficient.
During the trial, it emerged that Facebook was storing biometric data without users' consent, in violation of Illinois law.
In 2019, Facebook proposed that the facial recognition feature be optional.
The judge called the settlement “historic”, representing a “major victory for consumers in the very controversial area of digital privacy”.
"This is one of the biggest settlements ever found for
(a dispute over)
a breach of privacy," he also commented, adding that the plaintiffs will receive compensation of at least $ 345. each, about 290 euros.
