The deadline for a recent class action lawsuit against Instagram is drawing to a close. Residents of Illinois may be eligible for a $68.5 million Instagram settlement, but only if they make a claim before September 27th.
According to the lawsuit, Instagram parent company Meta collected biometric data illegally. Meta has denied this and is paying a tiny fraction of its multi-hundreds-of-billions net worth to settle the issue.
To qualify, you must have used Instagram within Illinois between August 10th, 2015, and August 16th, 2023. That's a lot of people! Here's how to file your claim and when you might get paid.
What to Know About the New Instagram Settlement
The class action lawsuit is, “Parris v. Meta Platforms Inc, case no 2023LA000672” and claims that Meta Platforms, Inc. violated the Biometric Information Privacy Act when it allegedly collected and stored “biometric identifiers and/or biometric information” through Instagram without complying with that act's requirements.
Since the Biometric Information Privacy Act is specific to Illinois, the settlement applies to its residents. You can read a notice summing up the details online.
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The settlement gives everyone who is a member of the Settlement Class five different options, although the deadline has run out for a few of them. We'll start with the easiest: Doing nothing. You'll get no settlement, and you'll also lose the right to bring your own lawsuit against Meta about these specific claims.
If that sounds a little unfair, consider your other options: You can attend a hearing to tell the court your opinion, or you can object in writing — although the deadline for objecting was August 16th, 2023, so the time has run out for that option. That's something to bring up in your hearing, perhaps.
The option to request an exclusion has also run out, thanks to an August 16th deadline. But there's one final option left that could land you a payout: Submitting a claim form.
Want to take a break from the app? Read our guide to deleting Instagram here.
How to Submit a Claim Form
You'll get your portion of the $68.5 million settlement if you are eligible and you file a claim. To make that claim, visit the claim form.
Check your email inbox for an email about this claim — you will likely have received a Notice ID and Confirmation Code that can help you out when filing the claim.
You don't need the email, though. Just fill out the form as normal and pick the payment method you prefer from the four options: Mastercard, Venmo, Zelle, or a paper check.
You'll still be eligible even if you haven't lived in Illinois since 2015, when the window of eligibility starts.
When Will You Get Paid?
The actual settlement comes after administration costs and taxes have been removed, and you'll have to split it with every other member of the settlement class.
There's no set deadline for when you'll get paid quite yet, but the final hearing will likely be on October 11th. Pending final approval, eligible members should receive their payout within 90 days, or any time before January 9th, 2024.
It's just the latest tech giant lawsuit settlement — we've covered similar tales for Google, Zoom, and Meta's other top social platform, Facebook.
