Is it too late to file a claim in Google's privacy settlement?

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Now that payments have started going out to Illinois residents who previously joined a class-action settlement involving Google, you may be wondering if there’s still enough time to file your own claim.

Unfortunately, the deadline has passed – at least for this specific settlement.

As of Friday, some of the hundreds of thousands who filed claims began receiving payments, although the amount was less than originally expected.

Hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents who filed claims in a lawsuit alleging Google violated the state’s Biometric Privacy Act are now seeing payments, although they won’t get as much as originally expected.

In all, 687,484 Illinois residents who submitted valid claims will receive somewhere between $95-$96 each, according to documents previously filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The payments users reported receiving Friday totaled $95.38.

In early June, the court ordered the funds be distributed, and payouts were slated to begin “on or before July 7, 2023.”

Residents had until late September of 2022 to file a claim if they appeared in a photograph on Google Photos anywhere between May 1, 2015 and April 25, 2022 while an Illinois resident. That fall, the Chicago Tribune reported that the judge indicated around 420,000 claims were filed in the case, which would mean each person could get around $150. Prior to that, attorneys estimated each person would be paid somewhere between $200 and $400.

In the many months since, the number of claims submitted soared to 687,484, reducing the amount paid to each person.

The lawsuit, which mirrors one previously settled with Facebook that resulted in many residents receiving checks worth nearly $400, claimed the company violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by “collecting and storing biometric data of individuals who, while residing in Illinois, appeared in a photograph in the photograph sharing and storage service known as Google Photos, without proper notice and consent.”

If you missed the deadline for this settlement, another one – also involving Google – is accepting claims. Anyone who used Google search and clicked on a search link between Oct. 25, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2013 is eligible to receive a portion of a $23 million settlement. According to the lawsuit, Google shared users’ terms to third-party websites, violating their privacy.

To file a claim, head to this website and follow the steps outlined on the page. The filing deadline is July 31.

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