Snapchat reaches $35 million settlement in biometric class action suit

Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit alleged that the social media platform was collecting the biometric information of users without consent, WMAQ reported

The law, which was passed in 2008, requires companies to notify users and get their consent before collecting and saving biometric data, the Chicago Tribune reported. It allows private citizens to sue companies over the regulations

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The lawsuit was filed under Boone, et al. v. Snap Inc., WFLD reported. Despite the settlement, Snapchat denies wrongdoing but the agreement will keep the case from going to trial

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“Lenses do not collect biometric data that can be used to identify a specific person, or engage in facial identification,” Snap said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “For example

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The company also said that data used behind the lenses feature is not sent to their servers and stays on a user’s device

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Snapchat said it also introduced an in-app consent notice in Illinois earlier this year “out of an abundance of caution,” the newspaper reported

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While an agreement has been reached, it still needs to have a final approval hearing, which is scheduled for November, WMAQ reported

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The amount of money received by a claimant will depend on how many people file their claims. Court and administrative fees will also come out of the $35 million payout.

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