Instagram Accused of Illegally Harvesting Biometric Data

[MacRumors]

Facebook, owner of Instagram, is facing a lawsuit over allegedly harvesting the biometric data of users, according to Bloomberg.

Last month, Facebook offered to pay a $650 million settlement in a similar lawsuit in which it was accused of illegally collecting biometric data via Facebook's photo-tagging feature. The settlement has not yet been approved by the judge, but if it is, affected users could be paid up to $400 each.

The new case was filed in California state court on Monday. Facebook was specifically accused of collecting, storing, and profiting from the biometric data of over 100 million Instagram users. Crucially, users did not give consent and were not aware of this alleged data-harvesting. Users were only made aware of biometric data collection on Instagram at the start of this year, but it is believed to have occurred for some time before that.

The lawsuit adds that unauthorized collection of biometric data would be a violation of Illinois privacy law, in which case Facebook could be forced to pay up to $5,000 per violation. Facebook did not respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg.

Article Link: Instagram Accused of Illegally Harvesting Biometric Data

 

[TiggrToo]

Facebook acting unethically and probably illegally? I’m shocked I tells you, shocked!

😲🤯

 

[Diseal3]

At this point, if you're still using FB services that's on you.

 

[PSeg90]

I wish this were more specific on what kind of biometric data was "harvested".

 

[Analog Kid]

Are they collecting data on non-users who also happen to be in the images?

Thats the thing about social media— you don’t have to be an idiot to have your privacy violated, you just need an idiot among your friends and family.

 

[Optheduim]

I am so glad I have left social media including insta. However, I’m sure they captured my profile while I was a user. $400 richer please!

 

[now i see it]

What a great company!

 

[Andres Cantu]

$400 for each user but after lawyer fees and everything, expect $4 😆

 

[im2fast4u]

Not surprised. First they kick out the founders and then they screw up the users

 

[5097842]

I deleted my Facebook account, really wish they hadn't purchased Instagram. But yeah, they'll ruin it to the point where I delete my Instagram account too.

 

[Tekguy0]

At this point, I think we would really be better off if we just banned social media because of the damage it does to democracy and users privacy.

 

[Just sayin...]

*post deleted*. Andres Cantu (above) beat me to the punch!

 

[ArPe]

No surprise. It’s been talked about in certain circles and rumoured online for a while that face data is captured from filter apps like Facetune etc and that facial data is sold on the darker data markets. Some of that is used to create fake accounts, some of it is used help companies studying how to generate virtual humans, some of it ends up in the hands of criminals, and some of it ends up being used to generate pornographic images of celebrities and children.

Profile pics and personal photos are also used for this, so unless you scrub all personal photos from the internet it is hard to stop.

 

[Diseal3]

What is stopping facebook at this point from developing facial recognition technology and selling it? They already have all your information for a database plus your biometrics.

 

[iosiseasy]

But yet TikTok is a threat and warranted an Executive order and much attention in the midst of a pandemic.

 

[ArPe]

But yet TikTok is a threat and warranted an Executive order and much attention in the midst of a pandemic.

It is a threat and a rather extreme case because the data can be used against a population in the future, either as targeted blackmail or wider suppression. The only solution is to buy it and regulate the data, or ban it.

 

[Rudy69]

At this point, if you're still using FB services that's on you.

What about when you're at a work event or something and someone takes a picture of you or a birthday party etc. Unfortunately plenty of people post all their pictures on there and you'll likely be on Facebook at some point even without an account.

 

[Diseal3]

But yet TikTok is a threat and warranted an Executive order and much attention in the midst of a pandemic.

Theres plenty of chatter about social media companies in the U.S. It's not just TikTok.

 

[rp2011]

carrying a GPS device with a camera and microphone always pointing at your face with access to all your messages thoughts and ideas might have privacy concerns

 

[cocky jeremy]

Bury them. I wish Apple would release alternatives to FB/IG. Instead we get terrible music related social networks that die instantly.

 

[Diseal3]

carrying a GPS device with a camera and microphone always pointing at your face might have privacy issues

Very possibly. But I haven't heard any egregious claims of this constantly being an issue with Android OEM's or Apple.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

Theres plenty of chatter about social media companies in the U.S. It's not just TikTok.

But Tiktok is owned by a dictatorial communist regime and government that suppresses the rights and freedoms of individuals. So there-in lies the difference.

 

[luvbug]

FB is just plain evil; fry them, please! This is incredible! That's no different, and actually worse in a sense, than hackers stealing your passwords.

 

[Diseal3]

But Tiktok is owned by a dictatorial communist regime and government that suppresses the rights and freedoms of individuals. So there-in lies the difference.

I agree with you. It was another user that was claiming this the U.S is somehow singling out just TikTok trying to be critical of the current administration. I don't see this as a partisan issue and I feel these issues can be handled a way that everyone can be on board with instead of WHO is the one handling it.

 

[MacGizmo]

The first lawsuit settlement is a joke. They'll earn the difference in a few days. Any fines against Facebook needs to be in the BILLIONS, not millions.