If you’re a resident of Illinois who did business with the beauty company Charlotte Tilbury in the last few years, you may be eligible to get paid hundreds of dollars from a nearly $3 million settlement, but you only have till the start of the new year to opt in.
Charlotte Tilbury is a British beauty company founded in 2013 by a businesswoman of the same name. As of 2023, the company had seen considerable growth, with revenue that year of nearly £450 million ($560 million). Its products are available in 76 countries worldwide, but its alleged business practices in the US landed it in legal hot water.
In September, the company agreed to pay out a $2.925 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit, which accused it of violating biometric privacy laws in Illinois by retaining certain data from customers that used various online “try-on” tools without their consent.
To see if you’re eligible for this settlement and how much you can expect from it, read on. For more on recent settlements, read about the privacy-related settlement from Thomson Reuters and find out if you’re eligible for 23andMe’s data breach settlement.
Why was Charlotte Tilbury Beauty sued?
Charlotte Tilbury was initially hit with a class-action lawsuit in Illinois’ Cook County in April 2023, with complaints centering on various virtually try-on tools the company offered, including but not limited to Charlotte’s Virtual Try On, Pro Skin Analysis, Foundation Shade Finder, Complexion Edit, Highlight Shade Finder, How To Apply, Blush Finder and Skin Reader.
The suit alleged that the company violated Illinois state law regarding biometric privacy by retaining facial geometry scans from people who used these virtual tools, without their consent. While the company has agreed to pay a $2.925 million settlement, it has not admitted any wrongdoing.
Who is eligible for this class-action settlement?
This settlement is open to anyone who was an Illinois resident and used one of Charlotte Tilbury’s virtual try-on tools between Dec. 1, 2019, and Aug. 31, 2023.
The payments from this settlement are estimated to range between $700 and $1,100, depending on how many people opt in to it.
What is the deadline for this class-action settlement?
Anyone who believes that they are eligible for this settlement have until Jan. 2, 2025, to submit a valid claim, which they can do by filling out an online form here. It is not known when payments will be sent, but the final hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2025.
For more, read about Facebook’s biometric privacy settlement from early this year.
