Illinois Instagram users could get payout from class-action settlement

Instagram users in Illinois could be eligible for money from a class-action lawsuit.

Driving the news: The social media site owned by Meta has settled a class-action lawsuit alleging that Instagram violated the state's biometric privacy law, considered the nation's strictest.

• It follows similar claims settled in Illinois with Google, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok.
• Illinois users will be entitled to payments from a $68.5 million settlement.

Flashback: The Federal Trade Commission warned in May that social media platforms and technologies like artificial intelligence jeopardize users' privacy and could lead to discriminatory practices.

• "Using biometric information technologies to identify consumers in certain locations could reveal sensitive personal information about them such as whether they accessed particular types of health care, attended religious services, or attended political or union meetings," the FTC said in a statement.

Be smart: To qualify for the settlement, you must have used Instagram while in Illinois between Aug. 10, 2015, and Aug. 16, 2023.

• Claimants have until Sept. 27 to submit their claim or until Aug. 16 to exclude themselves from it.
• Eligible Illinoisans will receive an email notice about the settlement.

Thought bubble: If you're like Monica, you might have thought the email was spam. But don't delete it. The email from the Instagram Privacy Settlement Administrator contains important personal codes that you'll need in order to get paid.