The Bumble or Badoo app users may be entitled to the Howell BIPA settlement payments. Howell v. Bumble Trading LLC class action lawsuit has been settled, and the claim form for the settlement has also been issued. The users who wish to know more about the Howell BIPA settlement can check the details here from the claim form to how to submit the claim form.
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Howell BIPA Settlement Claim Form
The Settlement administrator of Howell BIPA Settlement had issued a notice authorized by the Circuit Court of Winnebago County, Illinois to the identified class members via mail or email to make them aware of their legal rights and proposed settlement from defendants.
The defendants Bumble Inc. have proposed to settle the class action lawsuit with a settlement fund of $40 million, the plaintiffs and defendants both have agreed upon the settlement. The court has asked eligible Bumble and Badoo app users to submit their claim form on or before 20 September 2024 to ensure their candidature to receive the payout after the Court approval.
The class members must submit the valid Howell BIPA Settlement claim form before the deadline and if they wish to exclude themselves from the settlement or object to the settlement they must do so before the deadline, 20 Sep 2024. The class members who do nothing will be ineligible to receive the settlement payout.
The Howell BIPA Settlement class members should mark the following dates of the settlement:
| Howell BIPA Settlement Activities | Date |
| Submit the claim | 20 September 2024 |
| Exclude from the claim or object the settlement | 20 September 2024 |
| Final Hearing | 23 October 2024 |
What is the Howell v. Bumble Trading Lawsuit about?
In 2021, Kemelle Howell who used Badoo filed a lawsuit against Bumble Inc. claiming the defendants Badoo and Bumble dating apps collected the user’s biometric information, such as facial geometry scans, and uploaded photos without the user’s consent.
In 2016, Badoo introduced a new profile verification feature that allows users to verify their profile through selfies as it determines the profile photo of the users matched with selfies making it a verified profile. Many users uploaded their selfies to verify their profile and the app was collecting the biometric data of users.
The unauthorized collection or use of user’s biometric information has violated the BIPA Act of Illinois. There was a lot of investigation and debate over Bumble Inc.’s involvement in the Badoo app wrongdoings, and now, the class action lawsuit involves Bumble Inc. the parent company of Bumble and Badoo dating apps.
The defendants have denied the allegations and any wrongdoings, however, now the defendants have proposed a settlement to settle the case. The court has preliminarily approved the proposed settlement, however, the final approval will be granted during the final hearing scheduled on 23 October 2024.
Who is entitled to the Howell BIPA Settlement claim?
The Howell BIPA Settlement involves the class members who meet the following eligibility requirements:
- You are located or a resident of Illinois when you use the Badoo or Bumble apps.
- You have used the Badoo or Bumble dating apps during class period 1 November 2016 and 31 December 2021.
Exclusion:
- The defendants, defendants’ parents, subsidiaries, officers, directors, investors, or employees are excluded from the settlement.
- The entities where Defendants have a controlling interest are excluded from the settlement.
- The judge who is presiding over the pending lawsuit is excluded as well as the judge’s staff, and immediate family members.
- Any person who has agreed to release the claims in any matter or proceedings before 20 Sep 2024.
How much can you receive via Howell BIPA Settlement?
The Howell BIPA Settlement class members will receive the settlement payment from the settlement fund of $40 million. However, the $40 million settlement fund is not only for the claimant’s payout, it will be first used to settle the following payments before distributing to the class members:
- Attorney’s Fee & cost
- Litigation expenses
- Settlement administration cost
- Class Representatives awards
When the above amount is subtracted from the gross settlement fund it will give a net settlement fund, the remaining fund from which the class members will receive the payout. The claimants with valid and accurate will only receive the Howell BIPA Settlement payout.
The Howell BIPA settlement compensation payment per person depends on the number of valid claims, net settlement fund, and other unknown factors, so the exact amount can’t be determined.
Apart from the monetary benefit, the defendants have agreed to the following measures:
- The defendants have agreed to delete previously collected biometric information secured during the content moderation process and photo verification.
- The defendants agreed to comply with BIPA Act rules & regulations.
How to claim the Howell BIPA Settlement Claim Form?
The Howell BIPA Settlement class members can claim the settlement by submitting the claim form in the following ways by providing their Bumble/Badoo app username, email address, legal name, payment mode info, and personal attestation confirming that they are class members:
- Online: The class members can visit the authorized settlement website at https://howellbipasettlement.com/ with the Unique ID mentioned in the Settlement Notice they receive via mail or email.
- By calling: You can call the Settlement Administrator at 877 763 0944 and ask for the claim form and submit the claim form via mail to info@HowellBIPA Settlement.com or post the claim form to the following address:
- Howell v.Bumble Trading LLC
- Settlement Administrator
- PO Box 2567 Portland
- OR 97208 2567
The class members associated with the Howell BIPA settlement should submit their claims before 20 Sep 2024 if they wish to receive the settlement payout. The settlement payout will be finalized after the final approval from the court scheduled on 23 Oct 2024.