Google Privacy Class Action Settlement: How You Could Get A Cash Reward From Home

Quick Summary of the Rivera et al. v. Google LLC Class Action Settlement

Google has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for $100 million. The case is Rivera, et al. v. Google LLC, Case No. 2019-CH-00990, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Google Privacy Class Action lawsuit alleged that the company violated Illinois Law and the BIPA (Biometrics Privacy Act) of the State of Illinois by collecting and keeping biometric data of eligible Illinois residents. People who appeared in Google Photos while residing in Illinois did not receive proper notice and consent as per government privacy protections.

Class Action Name	Rivera, et al. v. Google LLC
Estimated Payout	$100 to $400 per Class Member
Proof Required	No
Claim Deadline	September 24, 2022
Time to File Claim	5 to 10 minutes
Eligibility	If you are an Illinois resident who appeared in a photograph stored in the app between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022
Method of Payment	Card, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, Direct Deposit
Settlement Administrator	Rivera, et al. v. Google LLC Settlement c/o Settlement Administrator P.O. Box 5229 Baton Rouge, LA 70821

Are You A Google User? Of Course

Google has agreed to a $100 Million class action settlement over its alleged privacy violations of Illinois state law in relation to the Google Photos app with Illinois residents. If you are an Illinois resident who appeared in a photograph stored in the app between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, you could be eligible for compensation from the Class Action Fund.

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You may be eligible to receive cash and rebates.

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So What is Google Privacy Class Action About?

A $100,000,000 settlement has been reached in a historic class action lawsuit against Google by Illinois residents. The lawsuit alleged that Google violated Illinois privacy law by collecting and keeping biometric data of Illinois residents. People who appeared in at least one Google Photos photograph while residing in Illinois did not receive proper notice and consent as per government privacy protections.

Google is said to have violated privacy laws against Illinois residents, specifically the Biometric Privacy Act (BIPA). The BIPA was a law passed by the State Of Illinois in 2008 which regulates how companies collect and use biometric data identifiers and information by private companies. This includes information such as facial recognition data from apps like Google on your phone or tablet.

What is the BIPA?

The Illinois Biometrics Privacy Act (BIPA), 740 ILCS 14/, is a state law that regulates the capture and use of biometric information. BIPA was enacted in 2008 and is considered one of the most comprehensive laws of its kind in the United States. Under BIPA, companies that collect, store, or use biometric information must comply with several requirements, including obtaining written consent from individuals before collecting their biometric information, disclosing the specific purpose for which the information will be used, and ensuring that the information is securely stored.

BIPA also gives individuals the right to sue companies that violate the law. To date, there have been some high-profile class action lawsuits against companies like Facebook and Google alleging violations of BIPA.

How Much Money Can I Expect?

The payout is estimated to be around $100 to $400 per individual that files a valid claim. However, this is just an estimated amount. The exact portion of payout per individual will be the pro-rated portion of the $100,000,000 proposed Class Action Settlement, after court fees, costs, and expenses. The actual cash amount that will be received depends on the number of valid claims and the specific amounts of expenses, attorneys’ fees, litigation costs, and court-related expenses.

Google BIPA Net Settlement Fund

The administrator will review your submission upon receipt. You may only submit one claim for the Google settlement, and any duplicate claims will not be accepted. If you timely submit a valid Claim Form by September 24, 2022, you will be entitled to receive a payment representing a pro-rata share of the Net Settlement Fund of $100,000,000.

Who are the attorneys representing this case?

The Court has appointed Robert Ahdoot and Tina Wolfson of Ahdoot & Wolfson, PC, John C. Carey and David P. Milian of Carey Rodriguez Milian, LLP, Scott A. Bursor of Bursor & Fisher, P.A., and Frank S. Hedin of Hedin Hall LLP as Class Counsel to represent the Class. You may contact them via email at [email protected] or by leaving a message at 1-833-927-3418.

Final Approval Hearing

If the final approval is granted and any potential appeal process is completed, eligible participants could receive their payments within 90 days. The final approval hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 28. The final hearing will be conducted via the Court’s Zoom link https://circuitcourtofcookcounty.zoom.us/j/95535573920; Meeting ID: 955 3557 3920. No password is required.

Are You Qualified? Submit Your Claim

To receive compensation, submit a valid claim form online by September 24, 2022, using the link below. Please note only one claim is accepted, and any duplicate claims will be rejected.

Resources

Illinois Biometrics Privacy Act (BIPA)

What is Google Photos?
Google Photos is a photo sharing and storage service developed by Google. It was launched in May 2015 and allows users to store unlimited photos and videos for free, with some restrictions. Google Photos offers several features, including the ability to upload photos and videos from various devices, share photos and albums with others,

What is biometric data?
Biometric data is a type of data that captures physical or behavioral characteristics that can be used to identify an individual. This data can be used for identity verification, security, and fraud detection purposes. Examples of biometric data include fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition.

What does “obtaining informed written consent” mean?
Obtaining informed written consent is a process whereby an individual gives permission for something after being fully informed about what they are consenting to. This means that they have been given all the relevant information about the matter at hand and have had any questions they may have answered satisfactorily. Only then do they provide their signature or other indication of agreement.

The purpose of obtaining informed written consent is to protect individuals from being taken advantage of or making decisions they may later regret. It also ensures that everyone involved in a situation is on the same page and aware of what is happening. Informed written consent forms are commonly used in medical and legal situations.

Is this the same class action lawsuit for Facebook users?
No. Facebook had recently settled and awarded 1.6 Million Illinoians $397 each in a landmark class action settlement for allegedly violating the same privacy law. In that case, Facebook had been automating facial recognition and tagging Facebook users without their consent until they removed this feature.

What other tracking technologies do I have to worry about?
In addition to cookies, websites may use several other tracking technologies to collect information about you. These include web beacons, pixel tags, and local shared objects (also known as flash cookies).