How Much Is The Illinois Google Settlement

You Heard Right, Google Owed Illinois Residents a TON of Cash (But Not Quite Enough for That Yacht You Dreamed Of)

Did you know Illinois residents threw down the gauntlet in a privacy lawsuit against Google, and shockingly... they won? Well, kind of. Let's dive into the weird world of class-action settlements and see how much Google actually coughed up.

The Great Google Photos Caper

Apparently, Google Photos' face-grouping feature ruffled some feathers in Illinois. Residents there argued it violated their biometric privacy laws with its fancy schmancy technology for sorting faces. Google, ever the pragmatist (or maybe they just didn't want a million mini-trials), decided to settle the case for a cool $100 million.

Hold on, Not Everyone Gets a Mansion (But Hey, Free Money is Free Money)

Now, that $100 million sounds like a hefty sum, but here's the thing: over 687,000 Illinois residents filed claims for a piece of the pie. When you split that kind of dough amongst that many people, well, let's just say it ain't life-changing. Each claimant ended up with roughly $95-$96.

So, What Did We Learn?

• Don't underestimate the power of Illinois residents and their fight for privacy (also, their lawyers are probably pretty good).
• Free money is great, but it might not pay the bills (although, hey, who can say no to a free pizza?).
• Maybe next time we sue a tech giant, we can target their yacht money directly.

FAQs: Your Burning Google Settlement Questions Answered

How to know if I was part of the settlement?

This settlement was for Illinois residents who used Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, and filed a claim by September 4, 2022. If you weren't sure or didn't file, then this one probably sailed by you.

How do I get my money?

The deadline to claim your part of the settlement has already passed. But hey, maybe there will be another Illinois vs. Tech Giant showdown in the future, and you'll be ready!

How can I protect my privacy online?

There are many ways! Reviewing your privacy settings on social media and other platforms is a good first step. You can also look into using privacy-focused browsers and search engines.

How much will the next Google settlement be?

That remains to be seen! But if history is any indicator, it'll likely be a big ol' number. Tech giants and privacy go together about as well as oil and water, so future lawsuits are a possibility.

How do I become a lawyer who specializes in suing tech giants?

Well, that's a whole other can of worms. But hey, if you have the passion and the brains, who knows? Maybe you'll be the one leading the charge in the next big tech privacy case.

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