Cases involving lawsuits against the social network "Facebook" are many and it is that "we cannot understand why" if it is a social network where "all our data" is handled in the "best way" and is now being sued "for allegedly collecting biometric data from Instagram users" or people who appear in photos on the platform without their consent (note that everything in "" is mere sarcasm).
On the demand, filed Monday in state court in Redwood City, California, Facebook was accused of "collecting, storing and enjoying" the biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users. More specifically, this biometric data relates to facial recognition technology.
Complaint claims Instagram is using a hashtag toolfacial do which uses facial recognition to create "face models", which are then stored in Facebook databases.
Add that Instagram uses this tool automatically without obtaining user consent, despite the fact that the people in the images do not have Instagram accounts and therefore do not agree to the terms of use.
“Once Facebook captures the protected biometric data of its Instagram users, it uses it to increase its facial recognition capabilities in all its products, including the Facebook application, and shares that information between various entities. Facebook does all of this without providing the required information. Notices or Disclosures Required by Illinois Law, ”the complaint reads.
The practice violates a law in the state of Illinois which prohibits companies from collecting people's biometric data (such as a facial recognition scan) without their knowledge.
By law, a business can be required to pay $ 1,000 per violation (or $ 5,000 if you are known to have acted recklessly or intentionally).
Stephanie Otway, a Facebook spokeswoman, said that Instagram doesn't use facial recognition in the same way as the Facebook app:
“This complaint is unfounded. Instagram does not use facial recognition technology ”.
Facebook has previously faced litigation stemming from Illinois law, in which Facebook decided to pay $ 550 million to eligible Illinois users, as well as handle the plaintiffs' legal fees.
"This case should serve as a reminder to businesses to know that consumers care deeply about their privacy rights and that if pressured they will fight for those rights until the Supreme Court, then until they receive fair compensation.
New class action lawsuit against Instagram seeks damages for up to 100 million Instagram users. Under Illinois law, Facebook could be forced to pay between $ 1.000 and $ 5.000 per violation.
And as we say, Facebook has been the subject of complaints about the use of facial recognition since 2010, when the company released the default role for users. Of course, users could turn it off, but privacy experts said the company did not get users' consent to use the technology from the start.
In 2012, Facebook deactivated the technology in Europe after regulators raised questions about its consent system.
In 2018, Facebook began to more transparently explain how it works and the usefulness of its facial recognition technology to users, directing people to a settings page where they could disable it.
Last year, as part of a $ 5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission on privacy violations, the company decided to perform facial recognition only on the subscription platform, after years of activation by default for all users.
Privacy regulations come at a time when the public is increasingly concerned about the spread of powerful surveillance technologies like facial recognition.
Companies like Amazon and Clearview AI market facial recognition software to law enforcement agencies to help them identify unknown suspects.
Source: https://www.infobae.com