Meta is facing a class-action lawsuit over allegations that it used users’ photos without their consent to develop artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Chicago by a group of parents and their children from Illinois and California. They allege that Meta used their photos to develop NameTag, an unreleased facial recognition system designed for its smart glasses.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta violated Illinois and California privacy laws by extracting biometric information from people's photos without their knowledge or consent.
The complaint also names Meta’s generative AI model, Expressive Media Universe (Emu), alleging that it was trained on a large volume of images from Facebook and Instagram.
Meta Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox has previously described the content available on these platforms as a “data advantage” for the company’s AI systems.
Responding to the lawsuit, a Meta spokesperson said, "This lawsuit is without merit and misrepresents our work. We've been transparent about how we use people's information to build and improve our AI products."
The company also reiterated its position on NameTags, stating that the technology has not yet been released to consumers and that no final decision has been made regarding its deployment.
The plaintiffs are seeking $5,000 for each intentional or reckless violation under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, or actual damages if they are higher. They are also seeking injunctive relief.
The claims brought under California law seek additional damages and other forms of relief.
The proposed class would cover individuals in Illinois, California and elsewhere in the US whose images were uploaded to Facebook or Instagram, or submitted to Meta’s generative AI systems through prompts, since September 4, 2021.
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