Google and YouTube BIPA settlement overview:
- Who: A California federal judge has granted final approval for a settlement involving YouTube LLC and Google LLC over the use of biometric data.
- Why: The lawsuit alleged that YouTube collected and stored biometric data without proper notice and consent, violating Illinois law.
- Where: The settlement is effective for residents of Illinois, United States.
YouTube and Google have agreed to a $6 million settlement following allegations that their Face Blur feature collected biometric data without proper consent, violating Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
The settlement was authorized by a California federal court and involves Illinois residents who uploaded videos to YouTube using the Face Blur tool. The lawsuit, known as Colombo v. YouTube LLC and Google LLC, claimed that the Face Blur feature involved facial recognition technology, which contravened BIPA by collecting biometric data without prior notice or consent.
YouTube and Google have denied these allegations, asserting that Face Blur is designed to protect user privacy.
The settlement, which was preliminarily approved in July 2025, will see eligible class members receive a share of the approximately $6 million settlement fund.
Each claimant is expected to receive about $900, although this amount could vary based on the number of valid claims and deductions for legal fees and other costs.
Court approves YouTube BIPA settlement amid fraud concerns
U.S. District Judge James Donato granted final approval to the settlement Jan. 8, 2026. The YouTube BIPA class action lawsuit was initially filed in August 2022 and later transferred to the Northern District of California.
The case focused on the alleged misuse of YouTube’s Face Blur and Thumbnail Generator tools, although claims regarding the Thumbnail Generator were eventually dropped.
The settlement class includes all Illinois residents who uploaded a video to YouTube with the Face Blur feature. Despite an initial estimate of 20,000 class members, more than 340,000 claims were filed, raising concerns about potential fraud.
The settlement administrator implemented a rigorous process to identify fraudulent claims, ultimately validating 4,501 claimants.
“We are thrilled with what we’ve been able to do for the class members in this case,” said Stuart Davidson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, as reported in Courthouse News Service.
YouTube and Google have committed to paying $6,022,500 to resolve the lawsuit. This fund will cover payments to class members, legal fees and other related expenses. Claimants can expect to receive around $900 each after expenses are deducted, with payments scheduled to be sent 30 days after the settlement’s effective date.
Although the deadline for filing claims closed on Nov. 30, 2025, class members can visit the official settlement website or contact the settlement administrator at 1-888-777-6502.
In other updates, Google and YouTube have agreed to a $30 million open settlement to resolve a long-running class action lawsuit alleging they unlawfully collected data from children under 13 to serve targeted ads without parental consent.
Are you affected by this YouTube and Google settlement? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP and Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC.
The YouTube BIPA settlement is Colombo v. YouTube LLC, et al., Case No. 3:22-cv-06987-JD, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
