Class-action settlement: Illinois residents have until tomorrow to file claim in $68 million Instagram suit

Illinois residents who used Instagram at any time in the past eight years must file a claim by tomorrow to be eligible for the state’s $68 million class-action lawsuit against the platform.

Eligible recipients include those who used Instagram while in Illinois at any time between Aug. 10, 2015, and Aug. 16, 2023. The settlement administrator said the payout includes both minors and adults.

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Meta, the umbrella company of Facebook and Instagram, allegedly violated Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act by “collecting and storing biometric identifiers and/or biometric information,” such as physical characteristics that can be used to identify people.

Meta agreed to reach a settlement with the state despite denying the allegations.

Illinois residents have until Sept. 27 to file a claim and receive a portion of the $68.5 million settlement. Those who wished to be exempt from the terms of the settlement or those who wanted to stay in the settlement class but wanted to object to the settlement or the payouts needed to file a letter by Aug. 16, 2023.

The settlement fund will pay for all settlement payments, settlement administration expenses, taxes and tax expenses, service awards to class representatives, and fee awards to class counsel.

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Oct. 11. A court decision will be released at a pending date after the hearing, and payments will be distributed to those who submitted a claim.

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Those who are eligible can file a claim at instagrambipasettlement.com.

This is the latest suit filed by the state. It follows several settlements between Illinois and Big Tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, that resulted in hundreds of Illinois residents receiving payouts.