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Google Defeats Biometric Privacy Lawsuit on Article III Standing Grounds

By Nicola Menaldo, Susan Fahringer, Debra R. Bernard, Ryan Spear, Sunita Bali & Erin K. Earl on January 9, 2019
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Google sign on the building at Google's headquarters in Silicon Valley .

On December 29, 2018, Google won summary judgment in Rivera v. Google, a privacy class action alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The case involved “face grouping,” a feature that enables Google Photos to automatically sort and group the photographs in a user’s private account based on visual similarities between the images of faces in the photos. The court held that any alleged collection of “biometric information” or “biometric identifiers” stemming from this feature did not cause an injury-in-fact sufficient to confer Article III standing.  The Rivera v. Google decision demonstrates that, even in the context of claims arising out of privacy statutes, like Illinois’ BIPA, a defendant can prevail on a challenge to subject matter jurisdiction if it can demonstrate that the alleged violation did not result in any concrete injury to the plaintiffs. Some states impose similar requirements to bringing suit in state court. As states continue to enact privacy legislation, corporations that collect private information can mitigate risk by considering and enhancing their available Article III defenses, including by documenting how they protect potential plaintiffs’ information from disclosure.

Click here for a summary of the decision.

Photo of Nicola Menaldo Nicola Menaldo

Nicola Menaldo represents and counsels technology and retail clients on a wide range of issues central to their business needs.

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Photo of Susan Fahringer Susan Fahringer

Susan Fahringer has extensive experience representing some of the world’s leading innovators in privacy, IP, and complex commercial litigation.

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Photo of Debra R. Bernard Debra R. Bernard

Debra Bernard focuses on class action defense of claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and other consumer and privacy claims, as well as other areas of commercial litigation.

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Photo of Ryan Spear Ryan Spear

Ryan Spear counsels some of the world’s most innovative companies on cutting-edge privacy and security issues.

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Photo of Sunita Bali Sunita Bali

Sunita Bali is a partner with the firm’s Litigation practice and has substantial experience litigating cases in California state and federal courts.

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Photo of Erin K. Earl Erin K. Earl

Erin Earl defends companies in high-stakes privacy and security litigation and government agency investigations, including inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general.

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  • Posted in:
    Privacy and Cybersecurity
  • Blog:
    Consumer Protection Review
  • Organization:
    Perkins Coie LLP
  • Article: View Original Source

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