Patel v. Facebook (BIPA)
Patel v. Facebook — $650M BIPA Settlement over Tag Suggestions (N.D. Cal.)
N.D. Cal. · In re Facebook Biometric Info. Privacy Litig., No. 3:15-cv-03747 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 26, 2021); 932 F.3d 1264 (9th Cir. 2019)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- February 26, 2021
- Applies to
- Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.)
The largest biometric-privacy settlement in U.S. history at the time — $650 million paid by Facebook to roughly 1.6 million Illinois users whose facial templates were extracted by the 'Tag Suggestions' feature without BIPA consent. Each class member received about $400.
Who is protected: Illinois users whose face geometry was extracted by Facebook between June 7, 2011 and Aug. 19, 2020
Legal detail
In re Facebook Biometric Information Privacy Litigation (Patel v. Facebook, Inc.), No. 3:15-cv-03747 (N.D. Cal., filed May 14, 2015; Judge James Donato). Final approval Feb. 26, 2021: $650M common fund (increased from initial $550M); 1.6M class members, ~$397/claimant. Ninth Circuit affirmed class certification in 2019 (Patel v. Facebook, 932 F.3d 1264). Foundational ruling that BIPA's intangible-harm violation satisfies Article III standing.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | N.D. Cal. |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Citation | In re Facebook Biometric Info. Privacy Litig., No. 3:15-cv-03747 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 26, 2021); 932 F.3d 1264 (9th Cir. 2019) |
| Topics | biometric data · consumer data privacy · facial recognition |
| Court record | In re Facebook BIPA Litigation — CourtListener 3:15-cv-03747 |
More AI rules in N.D. Cal.
- Tremblay v. OpenAI · Blocked / in litigation
- Silverman v. OpenAI · Blocked / in litigation
- Kadrey v. Meta · Blocked / in litigation
- Chabon v. OpenAI · Blocked / in litigation
- Chabon v. Meta · Blocked / in litigation
- Andersen v. Stability AI · Blocked / in litigation
Related biometric data rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Bristol VA PD facial recognition program (first VA local agency) · In effect
- Dallas PD Clearview AI facial recognition policy · In effect
- Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Texas v. Google · In effect
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