Snapchat Lawsuit Payouts Begin | Snapchat Privacy Lawsuit Settlement!

One of the recent controversies that took place in 2022 that attracted a lot of attention is related to your favorite social media platform- Snapchat. The social media company Snapchat Inc. faced a tough time in Illinois, where it faced a lawsuit for violating the privacy of the people. Are you well aware of Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 and know the details? If not, I have got you covered in everything here!

Snapchat is more than just funny cameos and maintaining snap streaks. With such a huge user base, the ability to manage the data of the users also becomes important. With Snapchat Lawsuit 2022, new details came to light about the handling of that data, so you should read the details ahead!

Snapchat Lawsuit Privacy Settlement Begins Crediting $16.35 To Users | Snapchat Compensation Claim!

Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 controversy was all about violating biometrics privacy law by the Snapchat app in Illinois. People have sued the company and asked for compensation as per BIPA law. The lawsuit was filed by attorney James C. Vlahakis on 11 May 2022 in Chicago federal court on behalf of Maribel Ocampo and Adrian Coss.

Per the latest news that has disappointed thousands of users, Snapchat has finally begun paying eligible users part of the fine in question to the Snapchat Lawsuit. In 2021, Snapchat was fined a whopping $35 million for violating the privacy policies in Illinois. As part of the settlement, Snapchat has started paying their part of the fine, which according to many users, is quoted as “too low.” 

Lately, plenty of users started receiving a $16.35 payment text on behalf of Snapchat authorities. Most of the users are complaining after looking at the settlement amount stating that the platform could have put their privacy at risk and that $16.35 is too low an amount for that. This disappointment comes after other social media companies like Facebook had to pay up to $397 annually at the time of their data privacy lawsuit settlement.

Who Is Eligible For Receiving The Snapchat Lawsuit Settlement? Snapchat Lawsuit Illinois Payout Date!

Not everyone is eligible for receiving the settlement amount offered by Snapchat. There are certain requirements that an Illinois resident must meet if (s)he is to receive the amount. You can have a look at the eligibility criteria here –

• The person must be an Illinois resident.
• The person must have used Snapchat filters/lenses offered by the platform between November 17, 2015, and November 5, 2022.
• The person must have submitted the complaint claim form, for which the deadline ended on November 5, 2022.

What Is Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 Controversy All About? Snapchat Settlement Illinois Payout Date?

Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 is one of the hottest topics among people who are more concerned about technological infiltration into their privacy, via clickable links of fashion brands. The case accuses Snapchat of using high-tech lenses capable of capturing important biometric features by illegally using facial recognition technology without taking prior consent from the users. 

Thus it completely violates BIPA law and invades the privacy of the users as well as stores their biometrics without their permission.

What Is BIPA? Snapchat Lawsuit Payout!

BIPA stands for Biometric Information Privacy Act and came into effect in 2008 by the State of Illinois. The act protects and regulates sensitive information like biometric data in private companies. It incorporates all sorts of biometric information like facial recognition, thumb impression, and eye scans. Thus, the act regulates private companies that ask for and store such information for their apps and services.

BIPA law also covers the privacy of biometrics of children and minors. The law has been invoked multiple times against employers and offices that use scanners for fingerprints or any sort of biometrics at the workplace. Recently, Facebook and Google have also faced the same crisis, and now Snapchat has joined this controversy!

BIPA law is very strict with biometric privacy. It does not allow any organization to randomly collect biometric data like fingerprints and face and eye scans without the written permission of the specific person. It clearly instructs that if a company fails to comply with its rules, it will face severe punishment. 

It also incorporated publishing rights under the law’s protection. An organization that fails to obey the rule will have to pay a fine of $5000 for every such act. Snapchat is not the only organization currently facing these charges as more companies have gone through this trial like tech-based companies, etc.

What Are The Reasons Behind Snapchat Lawsuit 2022? Is Snapchat Lawsuit Real?

The major reasons behind Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 are-

• Adrian Coss and Maribel Ocampo have blamed Snapchat for creating the app and snaps that use people’s unique facial features and unique voices. This is against the BIPA law, and thus Snapchat needs to compensate or face legal charges.
• As per BIPA law, Snapchat has failed to provide any prior notice of storing the biometric details of the consumers. Moreover, it does not have users’ written consent forms for storing their biometric data or anything related to its purpose and time for the data storage.
• Another allegation charged against Snapchat in the lawsuit is about the high-tech lenses and filters that are capable of scanning facial features and storing sensitive biometric data without even asking the consumer. Such lenses can make a well-detailed map of facial features and can be used to extract sensitive information. Snapchat does not have written permission from users for such a sensitive issue.

How Much The Compensation Can Go In Snapchat Lawsuit 2022? Is The Snapchat Lawsuit Real?

The compensation is one of the escapades from getting into huge legal trouble. Recently Facebook settled its charges by compensating $650 million, which was distributed among the Facebook users of Ilinois. Similarly, Google also paid the compensation of $100 million against the charges of face scans in the Google Photos app. So, taking these companies into account, Snapchat might also settle the case with compensation. 

Though the exact compensation amount has not been revealed yet, Snapchat is facing BIPA charges on about 500,000 Snaps. Thus, it could lead to a settlement of more than or equal to $2.5 billion if Snapchat lost the case. Therefore, a fair negotiation might come up between the two parties in the coming days. Moreover, the court has asked the victims to only prove that they have used the app within a specific time. Thus, Snapchat might face severe damage if the case went into detail.

How Can You Get Compensation Through Snapchat Lawsuit 2022

Okay! Now the next question is- Are you also eligible for the compensation? Well, there are two criteria for that-

• You need to be a resident of Illinois or at least resided in the place for the past five years.
• You are using Snapchat and its filters and lenses during this period while living in Illinois.

Even minors are eligible for getting compensation. Their guardian can claim on their behalf by providing valid Snapchat IDs. The compensation amount can be between $500 to $1,000 per individual. Thus, if you qualify for the above two criteria, you can ask for the claim as well.

Which Other Social Media Platforms Have Faced Similar Charges Like Snapchat Lawsuit 2022?

Though Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 is storming the internet, it is not the only organization facing such issues for the violation of BIPA law and infringement of privacy. Big companies like Microsoft and Amazon have already faced a similar charge. They have been charged with acquiring faceprints from citizens without their permission. 

The IBM database supports the claim and has evidence that these companies have also gathered sensitive information by using Flickr. Flickr is a popular app with millions of photographs under a license that cannot be used without prior permission. Facebook was also recently sued for invading the public’s privacy and storing biometric data without any prior written permission. However, Facebook saved itself from getting into a legal battle with a huge compensation settlement.

How Was Snapchat Revamped Before The Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 Issue?

Before getting into the legal trouble of Snapchat Lawsuit 2022, the company was revamping itself by incorporating specific laws and changes in the app. The Snap Kit guidelines required the developers to build friend-finding apps. However, such apps must have limited access to users below 18. 

This was done to prevent cyberbullying and online harassment. However, despite making the changes in March 2022, Snapchat’s stricter policies for anonymous apps and friend finders aren’t yet fully enforced. Q&A apps like YOLO and LMK became quite popular when they associated with Snapchat without getting permission. 

However, these apps were banned due to objectionable content. Parents sued these apps for being a medium of harassing their children. Thus, Snapchat and Facebook took strict action against third-party apps and came up with more safeguards to protect privacy.

What Is Identity Web View In Snapchat? 

Third-party developers use Identity Web View for building Q&A apps that can be used in Snapchat. This feature is now made a mandatory policy where now onwards. The user name will not be anonymous. 

To play such games, the user will be required to send their Bitmoji avatar URL and abbreviated Display Name while posting a comment or answer. However, the game or Q&A sessions will follow the earlier pattern only. This will help to identify cyberbullies and help to prevent social media harassment.

Shortcomings With Identity Web View In Snapchat!

Though Snap Kit has made Identity Web View mandatory, it faces difficulties in implementing it completely. Some apps like LMK, HMU, Hoop, Intext, Wink, Swipr, Purp, and Dope are still using anonymous Q&A session apps. Moreover, they are not following the age-limit criteria of the users. Snapchat has issued the Snap Kit guidelines that these services will be provided to only 18+ users? 

However, the apps mentioned above are available to use for 4+ and 12+ users. Parents are also not using Google’s built-parental controls to block the Snapchat friend-finding apps. This allows the kid to make Snapchat profiles with fake birth years. Thus, Snapchat is now taking steps to culminate these shortcomings in the future. However, it needs to deal with Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 crisis first!

Controversial Incidents In Snapchat Before The Charges Of Snapchat Lawsuit 2022!

Social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat are not sued for invading the biometric privacy of users. Still, they have also been charged with serious issues like teenage suicides, cyberbullying, and online sexual harassment.

Here are two serious charges pressed against Facebook and Snapchat before Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 crisis-

• A woman sued Snapchat, Google, and Apple for not creating enough safeguards to protect teenagers’ privacy. A man was rigorously harassing a 12-year-old girl for nude pictures on Snapchat! After getting nudes, the man uploaded them on other platforms as well. The case highlighted the social media loopholes and the ill effects of Snapchat’s messaging format.

• SUISA has also sued Snapchat by citing SUISA’s Digital Licensing rights. The organization charged Snapchat for not allowing their music on the platform. Earlier, Snapchat used its music and worked to popularise its app, but after getting recognition, it denied a share of the profit to SUISA. They went on for a long legal battle instead. Thus, these earlier charges will surely affect the current Snapchat Lawsuit in 2022.

Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 Settlement Update!

According to official reports, a final settlement was reached in the Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 case after the “court did not find in favor of either the company or the plaintiffs, meaning Snapchat Inc. does not admit fault.” Reports in the media continue to speculate on what the final settlement amount will be.

As of October 2022, it has been reported that the platform Snapchat has agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement to the tune of $35 million. That’s a huge chunk of cash, and as previously mentioned, if you fall into the eligibility criteria, then you can register your claim for the money! If you are a part of the Settlement Class, Members can file their claim online.

Alternatively, you can download the Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 application from the app provided by the government of Illinois as well. But if you’re interested in doing things offline, you can call the office of the Settlement Administrator on their toll-free number at (844) 939-4343. You can then send your application along with your particulars to them via US mail. The deadline for these proceedings is currently set at 5 November 2022.

Final Words

Snapchat Lawsuit 2022 was one of the trending topics due to its controversial policies. However, the recently filed lawsuit can cost the company billions of dollars and severe legal charges. Now, only time will tell the fate of the Snapchat company, till then, you can use the app for ravishing flicks. What do you think of this controversy? Share your opinions in the comment box.