Closed to new claimsData privacyShutterfly $6.75 Million Illinois Privacy Settlement: Payout Status
Last updated: July 25, 2026
The Shutterfly privacy settlement is a $6.75 million agreement that resolved claims that Shutterfly, Inc. — the online photo-printing and personalized-products company — used facial-recognition software to scan the faces in uploaded photos and create biometric "faceprints" without consent, in violation of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). It is closed. The deadline to file a claim was September 14, 2021, the court granted final approval on September 9, 2021, and payments were distributed to valid claimants afterward. There is nothing to file today.
The case, Miracle-Pond v. Shutterfly, Inc. (Case No. 2019-CH-07050), was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. It covered Illinois residents who appeared in a photograph stored on Shutterfly between June 11, 2014 and the September 2021 final-approval date — roughly 955,000 people. Reported payments to approved claimants ranged from about $78 to $157 each, depending on the final number of valid claims filed against the $6.75 million fund. Shutterfly denied any wrongdoing and settled to avoid the cost and risk of further litigation.
Illinois' BIPA is one of the strongest biometric-privacy laws in the country: it requires companies to get written consent before collecting face or fingerprint data and to publish a retention schedule. Because BIPA allows private lawsuits, Illinois residents have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars from face-scanning cases — including Facebook's $650 million and Google Photos' $100 million settlements. The Shutterfly case is a smaller, Illinois-only settlement in that same wave, and it is now fully resolved.
Key facts
- Settlement fund
- $6.75 million
- Reported payout
- ~$78–$157 per claimant
- Class size
- ~955,000 Illinois residents
- Class period
- June 11, 2014 – Sept 2021
- Claim deadline
- September 14, 2021 (closed)
- Final approval
- September 9, 2021
- Law
- Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA)
- Case
- Miracle-Pond v. Shutterfly, 2019-CH-07050 (Cook County, IL)
Official settlement administrator: Miracle-Pond v. Shutterfly, Inc. — court docket
Who qualifies
- You are an Illinois resident who appeared in at least one photograph that was uploaded to or stored on Shutterfly at any point between June 11, 2014 and the September 2021 final-approval date.
- The class was limited to Illinois because the case was brought under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA); residents of other states were not covered by this settlement.
- You had to file a valid claim before the September 14, 2021 deadline. No proof was required, but the claim window is closed and no new claims are accepted.
- You did not need to be a Shutterfly account holder — the settlement covered anyone whose face appeared in a photo on the service, even if someone else uploaded it.
Shutterfly settlement payout status — what happens now
- 1
The claim window closed in September 2021
The deadline to file was September 14, 2021. 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 Shutterfly claim in 2026 — the settlement is fully closed and distributed.
- 2
The court approved the $6.75 million settlement
The Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois granted final approval on September 9, 2021 in Miracle-Pond v. Shutterfly, finding the $6.75 million non-reversionary fund fair, reasonable, and adequate. Any money left unclaimed stayed in the fund for claimants rather than returning to Shutterfly.
- 3
Payments went out after approval — about $78 to $157 each
The administrator, PNC Class Action, distributed payments to valid claimants after the settlement became final. Reported amounts ranged from roughly $78 to $157 per person, depending on how many valid claims were filed against the $6.75 million fund (after attorneys' fees and administration costs).
- 4
Beware of look-alike Shutterfly claim sites
Because the settlement is closed, any website inviting you to file a new Shutterfly claim, pay a fee, or hand over your Social Security number is not the official settlement. The real claim process ended in 2021 and never charged claimants.
- 5
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Frequently asked questions
Can I still file a claim in the Shutterfly settlement?
No. The claim deadline was September 14, 2021 and the settlement is fully closed and paid out. There is no open Shutterfly privacy claim window in 2026. Any site inviting you to file a new Shutterfly claim today is not the official settlement.
How much was the Shutterfly settlement payout per person?
Reported payments to approved claimants ranged from about $78 to $157 each. The exact amount depended on how many valid claims were filed against the $6.75 million fund after attorneys' fees and administration costs were deducted.
When will I get my Shutterfly settlement check?
If you filed a valid claim before the September 14, 2021 deadline, your payment was already distributed after the court's September 9, 2021 final approval. The settlement is fully paid out, so no new payments are being issued in 2026.
Who was eligible for the Shutterfly BIPA settlement?
Illinois residents who appeared in a photograph stored on Shutterfly between June 11, 2014 and the September 2021 final-approval date — about 955,000 people. You did not need to be a Shutterfly account holder; the settlement covered anyone whose face was in a photo on the service.
What did Shutterfly allegedly do wrong?
The lawsuit alleged that Shutterfly used facial-recognition technology to scan the faces in uploaded photos, extract facial-geometry "faceprints," and store that biometric data to power features like face grouping — all without first getting users' written consent or publishing a data-retention schedule, as Illinois' BIPA requires. Shutterfly denied wrongdoing.
Is the Shutterfly settlement the same as the Facebook or Google Photos BIPA settlements?
No. All three were brought under the same Illinois biometric-privacy law but against different companies. Shutterfly's $6.75 million case covered face scans of uploaded photos; Facebook's $650 million settlement covered its photo "Tag Suggestions"; and Google's $100 million settlement covered face grouping in Google Photos. Because Facebook's and Google's funds were far larger, their per-person payouts were higher.
Sources and official records
Every figure and date on this page was taken from the primary records below — court dockets, agency releases, and the settlement administrator's own notices. Payout averages we describe as averages are calculated from the official totals, not reported per-person estimates.
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