Closed to new claimsBiometric privacyFacebook Illinois Biometric (BIPA) $650 Million Settlement: Payout Status
Last updated: July 26, 2026
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The Facebook biometric privacy settlement is a $650 million agreement resolving Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) claims that Facebook's 'Tag Suggestions' feature scanned and stored users' facial geometry without consent. Only Illinois residents qualified — specifically, Facebook users for whom Facebook created a face template while they lived in Illinois for at least 183 days, dating back to June 7, 2011. About 1.38 million people filed valid claims. The claim deadline closed November 23, 2020, and U.S. District Judge James Donato granted final approval on February 26, 2021. There is nothing to file today.
Eligible claimants received about $397 in the first round of payments, which began around May 2022 after the Ninth Circuit affirmed the settlement on March 17, 2022. Because leftover funds were redistributed, two smaller follow-up payments followed — roughly $30.61 in February 2023 and about $7.20 in October 2023 — bringing the total to around $435 per person. Payments went out by check, PayPal, Zelle, and direct deposit, and distribution is complete. This is the Illinois facial-recognition case (Patel v. Facebook) — it is not the separate $725 million Facebook/Cambridge Analytica privacy settlement, which was a nationwide case with different eligibility.
Key facts
- Settlement amount
- $650 million
- Valid claims filed
- ~1.38 million
- Who qualified
- Illinois residents only
- First payment
- ~$397 per claimant
- Total per person
- ~$435 (3 rounds)
- Claim deadline
- Nov 23, 2020 (closed)
- Final approval
- Feb 26, 2021
- Case
- Patel v. Facebook, N.D. Cal.
- Administrator
- Gilardi & Co.
Official settlement administrator: Court docket — In re Facebook Biometric Information Privacy Litigation
Who qualifies
- You were a Facebook user located in Illinois for whom Facebook created and stored a 'face template' — a digital scan of your facial geometry — using its Tag Suggestions facial-recognition feature.
- You resided in Illinois for at least 183 days (roughly six months), at any point since June 7, 2011.
- You filed a valid claim before the November 23, 2020 deadline. That window is closed and no new claims are accepted.
- Only Illinois residents qualified — this settlement was brought under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), a state law, so users in other states were not eligible.
Facebook BIPA settlement payout status — what happens now
- 1
The claim window closed in November 2020
The deadline to file was November 23, 2020. If you were an eligible Illinois resident and did not file by then, you are not entitled to a payment. There is no way to submit a new claim in 2026 — the settlement is fully closed and distributed.
- 2
Final approval came in February 2021, then an appeal delayed payment
Judge James Donato of the Northern District of California granted final approval on February 26, 2021. Two objectors challenged the attorneys' fees and appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which delayed payouts by more than a year before affirming the settlement on March 17, 2022.
- 3
The first checks — about $397 — went out in May 2022
Once the appeal was resolved, the first round of payments began around May 9, 2022. Each eligible claimant received approximately $397, paid by check, PayPal, Zelle, or direct deposit depending on the option they selected. Nearly $550 million was distributed to claimants after fees and costs.
- 4
Two smaller follow-up payments redistributed leftover funds
Because some checks went uncashed, leftover money was redistributed in two additional rounds: about $30.61 per person in February 2023 and roughly $7.20 per person in October 2023 — the third and final payment. In total, eligible claimants received around $435 each.
- 5
Distribution is complete
The October 2023 payment was the third and final round. There are no further Facebook BIPA payments coming and no reissue window in 2026. The official reference site is FacebookBIPAClassAction.com if you need historical claim details.
- 6
Biometric privacy cases keep settling — ClaimBee tracks them
Illinois BIPA and other biometric-privacy settlements (facial recognition, fingerprint scans, voiceprints) continue to pay out large per-person amounts. ClaimBee scans 2,000+ cases, matches them to your profile, and tracks every deadline so you file the next one on time.
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Frequently asked questions
When will I get my Facebook biometric settlement check?
If you filed a valid claim as an eligible Illinois resident, your payments were already sent. The first check of about $397 went out starting May 2022, followed by roughly $30.61 in February 2023 and about $7.20 in October 2023. Distribution is complete — there are no further payments coming.
How much was the Facebook BIPA settlement payout?
The first-round payment was about $397 per eligible Illinois claimant. Two smaller follow-up payments (about $30.61 and $7.20) redistributed leftover funds, bringing the total to roughly $435 per person. The overall settlement fund was $650 million, split among about 1.38 million valid claims after fees.
Who qualified for the Facebook facial recognition settlement?
Only Illinois residents. You qualified if you were a Facebook user for whom Facebook created a face template through Tag Suggestions while you lived in Illinois for at least 183 days, any time since June 7, 2011. It was brought under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, so users in other states were not covered.
Can I still file a Facebook BIPA claim in 2026?
No. The claim deadline was November 23, 2020, and the settlement is fully distributed. There is no open claim window in 2026 and no way to sign up. Any website telling you to 'file a Facebook biometric claim' today is not the official settlement.
Is this the same as the $725 million Facebook settlement?
No. This is the $650 million Illinois facial-recognition case (Patel v. Facebook / In re Facebook Biometric Information Privacy Litigation) over Tag Suggestions, open only to Illinois residents. The $725 million Facebook settlement was a separate, nationwide privacy case tied to Cambridge Analytica, with different eligibility and a later claim deadline.
Why did the Facebook settlement take so long to pay out?
Judge James Donato approved it in February 2021, but two objectors appealed the attorneys' fees to the Ninth Circuit. That appeal delayed payments by more than a year until the court affirmed the settlement on March 17, 2022, after which the first checks went out in May 2022.
Is the Facebook biometric settlement legit?
Yes. It is a real $650 million settlement in In re Facebook Biometric Information Privacy Litigation, approved February 26, 2021 in the Northern District of California and affirmed by the Ninth Circuit in 2022. The administrator was Gilardi & Co. at FacebookBIPAClassAction.com. It required no fee to participate.
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