The Apple Photos app has been sued in Illinois for allegedly collecting biometric data from users' images without consent. The $32.5 billion class‑action lawsuit claims that Photos scans faces, creates faceprints, and stores the data on the device and in iCloud, violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008.

Apple argues that the vectors used for album organization cannot reconstruct a face and are not linked to a name, but a state judge found the suit meets class‑action criteria and the Seventh Circuit denied Apple’s appeal, allowing the case to proceed. The law requires companies to obtain consent, safeguard biometric identifiers, and destroy them when no longer needed, with fines of $1,000 per violation or up to $5,000 for intentional or reckless misconduct. The lawsuit lists 6.5 million Illinois residents as harmed and cites past cases against Facebook and Google.

Apple’s Face ID technology is widely used for unlocking devices, but the Photos app’s use of facial recognition is separate. The lawsuit alleges that after gathering enough samples, an algorithm identifies the iPhone user and synchronizes the data across devices. Apple maintains privacy safeguards, yet the court proceeded. The suit’s potential value reaches $32.5 billion if Apple loses, reflecting the severity of the alleged violation.