The lawsuit noted that Instagram is denying that is using a smartphone’s camera without users’ consent. The plaintiff said the photo and video-sharing social network “does more than it claims.”
“Instagram is constantly accessing users’ smartphone camera features while the app is open and monitors users without permission,” according to Conditi in the lawsuit, adding that there is no legitimate reason for Instagram to access the user’s smartphone camera when they are not using Instagram camera features.
Instagram and Facebook privacy concerns
Facebook has been experiencing controversy over similar privacy issues. In July, the company agreed to pay $650 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it is harvesting biometric data on its flagship social media platform.
In a suit filed in August, Facebook was accused of using facial-recognition technology to illegally harvest the facial scans of more than 100 million Instagram users, including those protected by an Illinois privacy law. The social network giant denied the allegation citing the reason the the photo and video-sharing app does not use facial recognition technology.
