Snap has agreed to pay $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over the data collected by Snapchat’s filters and lenses, the Chicago Tribune reports. Illinois residents who have used Snapchat filters between November 17, 2015 and now could receive anywhere between $58 and $117 as part of the settlement.
The lawsuit only covers residents of Illinois because of the state’s unique data privacy laws. Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) is one of the most rigorous consumer privacy protections that’s ever been codified into law — and, as we can see in cases like this one, it’s actually being used as intended. BIPA is even challenging the data-collection methodologies of popular tech like virtual home try-on apps.
