A federal judge denied Meta Platforms' request to dismiss a class-action lawsuit regarding unauthorized voiceprint collection. The case alleges Meta gathered biometric data from Messenger users without obtaining legal consent.
The litigation proceeds under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). This strict state law previously forced Meta to pay a $650 million settlement for facial recognition violations.
The judge found sufficient evidence to dispute whether Meta collected data capable of identifying specific users. This ruling exposes the company to significant financial liability as the 2023 lawsuit moves forward.