Apple 'Faceprint' Biometric Privacy Case to Go Before a Jury in April 2027
Reuters reported on Oct. 16 that Apple's "photo faceprint" biometric privacy case will proceed to a jury trial, scheduled for April 2027. Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois ruled on Sept. 30, in a decision unsealed on Oct. 8, denying most of Apple's motion for summary judgment.
At issue is whether the facial "faceprints" generated by Apple's Photos app constitute facial geometry covered by the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Apple denies wrongdoing and argues it cannot access the encrypted information.
According to Reuters' analysis, under the act's statutory damages framework and the proposed class size — roughly 8 million Illinois residents — Apple's theoretical exposure could reach as much as $40 billion. That figure is a statutory maximum calculation, not an amount any court has awarded; no damages ruling has been made, the trial has not begun, and the outcome awaits the April 2027 proceedings.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：芝加哥天际线（资料图）。照片：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）。The Chicago skyline (file photo). Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
