Tesla FSD EU Approval Delayed to April 10 as RDW Completes Final Review 
Netflix Eyes South Korea for More Live Events as BTS Concert Livestream Approaches 
Berkshire Hathaway and Tokio Marine Form Major Strategic Insurance Partnership 
Judge Dismisses Sam Altman Sexual Abuse Lawsuit, But Sister Can Refile 
U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down FTC Order Against TurboTax "Free" Advertising 
Finnair Orders 18 Embraer E195-E2 Jets in Landmark Fleet Overhaul 
Jeff Bezos Eyes $100 Billion Fund to Transform Manufacturing With AI 
Amazon's "Transformer" Phone: Can It Succeed Where Fire Phone Failed? 
Sinopec Posts 36.8% Net Profit Drop in 2025 Amid Weak Petrochemical Margins and Energy Transition Pressures 
Goldman Sachs Raises Oil Price Forecasts Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions 
Sonova Shares Slip as Hearing Aid Giant Lowers Growth Outlook and Plans Sennheiser Exit 
Delivery Hero Sells Taiwan Foodpanda to Grab for $600 Million in Debt-Reduction Push 
Xiaomi Shares Drop After SU7 Launch as Margin Concerns Weigh on Investors 
Elon Musk Announces Terafab: SpaceX and Tesla to Build Dual AI Chip Factories in Austin, Texas 
Virgin Australia Adjusts Fares Amid Rising Aviation Costs and Middle East Tensions 
Palantir's Maven AI Earns Pentagon "Program of Record" Status, Reshaping Military AI Strategy 
Air Canada Express Plane Collides with Ground Vehicle at LaGuardia Airport 
Facebook is paying $650 million to settle a privacy lawsuit concerning its face-tagging feature. The federal judge just approved the settlement this past weekend.
Facebook to settle privacy legal battle
The lawsuit stemmed from the complaints of users who said that Facebook has been using their biometric data without permission. The photo face-tagging feature is also included in the complaint since the social media networking platform has been automatically tagging them in some posts.
As per AP News, U.S. District Judge James Donato just approved the settlement deal for the class-action suit that was filed in 2015. In the filing, almost 1.6 million Facebook users in Illinois have submitted claims, and they will be included in the settlement.
The judge said that this is one of the biggest settlements for a privacy violation offense. This is because Mark Zuckerberg’s company will be paying those 1.6 million users to settle the case.
If the total settlement money is divided, people in Illinois will be able to receive more than $300. This is truly a major win for the consumers who are fighting for digital privacy rights.
“It will put at least $345 into the hands of every class member interested in being compensated,” Donato said in the decision.
The Chicago-based lawyer who filed the case against Facebook, Jay Edelson, told the press that Facebook users who filed a claim will start receiving their checks through mail within two months. However, he noted that if the ruling is appealed, then there will be no checks to distribute.
Facebook’s response to the settlement
Fox Business reported that Facebook agreed to pay the huge settlement in July last year after the case was filed in Illinois due to the platform’s facial recognition technology that the civil lawsuit claimed to have violated the state's biometric privacy law. With the latest development of the case, the tech company is content with the agreement.
“We are pleased to have reached a settlement so we can move past this matter, which is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders,” Facebook said in a statement.
