Security News > 2020 > January > Facebook Settles Facial Recognition Lawsuit for $550 Million

Facebook has agreed to pay $550 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company violated Illinois law in collecting data for a facial recognition tool without users' consent.

The settlement - revealed by company executives during a Wednesday earnings call - came after Facebook failed this month in its efforts to get the U.S. Supreme court to throw out the lawsuit.

In 2019, Facebook announced that it would no longer turn on facial recognition by default, giving its users some additional privacy controls.

The original lawsuit against Facebook for violating the Illinois biometric law was first brought in 2015 by Edelson PC. Later, two other law firms - Labaton Sucharow LLP and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP - each brought their own legal actions on behalf of state residents who believed their rights were violated.

Facebook acknowledged the lawsuit and the settlement it reached during its quarterly earnings call on Wednesday as well as within financial filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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https://www.inforisktoday.com/facebook-settles-facial-recognition-lawsuit-for-550-million-a-13669