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)
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.
Technical 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.
Who is protected: Illinois users whose face geometry was extracted by Facebook between June 7, 2011 and Aug. 19, 2020
Who must comply: Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.)
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | N.D. Cal. |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Stronger protection |
| Effective date | 2021-02-26 |
| 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 |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | 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
- COPPA + 2025 Rule (childrens data) · In effect
- BIPA · In effect
- TRAIGA · In effect
- My Health My Data Act · In effect
- SF Facial Recognition Ban · In effect
- Boston Face Surveillance Ban · In effect
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