Illinois residents whose fingerprints or hand or face scans Gofo, Inc. collected between October 21, 2020 and April 20, 2026, including workers placed there by staffing agencies, will be paid an estimated $558 automatically from the Gofo biometric privacy class action settlement; there is no claim form to file. The deadline to opt out or object is January 14, 2027, and the final approval hearing is January 20, 2027.
Current Status
There is no claim form. Class members are paid automatically by check if the court grants final approval. The court entered its preliminary approval order on November 3, 2026, and notice was due to go out by mail, email and text message by November 15, 2026. The deadline to opt out or object is January 14, 2027. The final approval hearing is set for January 20, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. Central Time, and no payment date had been announced as of November 15, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
Gofo, Inc. agreed to pay $1,385,670 to resolve Jiang v. Gofo, Inc., a class action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The lawsuit alleges Gofo collected, stored or used fingerprints and other biometric scans for timekeeping without first giving the written notice and getting the written consent the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) requires. Gofo denies that it violated any law, and the court has not decided who is right.U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman granted preliminary approval from the bench at an October 28, 2026 hearing and entered the written order on November 3, 2026. The order approved an amendment to the settlement agreement that moved the notice date and other deadlines to the schedule the court set at that hearing, while keeping a full 60 days for class members to opt out or object.
Who Qualifies?
The court conditionally certified a settlement class of everyone who:- resided in Illinois within the past five years,
- had biometric identifiers or biometric information collected, captured, received, used or otherwise obtained by Gofo,
- qualifies as an aggrieved person under Section 20 of BIPA, and
- does not have claims against Gofo that are subject to binding arbitration.
How Much Can You Get?
The notice estimates each payment at about $558. That is an estimate, and the final figure depends on how many class members there are, how many opt out, and what the court approves for fees and costs.The fund is non-reversionary, so none of it goes back to Gofo. It works out to $935 per class member before deductions, and it grows by another $935 for each additional qualifying class member identified. Class counsel may ask for attorneys' fees of up to 35% of the fund plus costs, and a service award of up to $10,000. Those amounts, plus the administrator's costs, are paid before the remaining net fund is split in equal shares among everyone who does not opt out.
Besides the money, Gofo will delete or destroy covered biometric data under Section 6 of the settlement agreement.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
None. Payment is automatic: the court's order says no claim form is required. Checks go to the addresses the administrator has on file, so the notice asks class members to keep their mailing address current with the administrator through the official settlement website.What Is the Deadline?
There is no claim deadline. The one date that matters for class members is January 14, 2027. That is the deadline to opt out, which must be postmarked or emailed by that date, and the deadline to object, which must be mailed or emailed by then. The notice does not give a timezone for either. Class counsel's request for fees, costs and the service award must be filed and posted on the settlement website by December 30, 2026, before the objection deadline.How Do You Take Action?
Class members who stay in the settlement do nothing and are paid automatically if it is approved. Staying in releases their biometric-data claims against Gofo and the other released parties.An opt-out is a signed written request sent to the settlement administrator, JND Legal Administration, by mail or email. It must include the person's full name, current address or telephone number, and a statement that they want to be excluded. People who opt out receive no payment and keep any individual claims against Gofo. Group or "mass" opt-out requests are not valid.
An objection is a signed written statement sent to the administrator by mail or email. It must include the person's full name, current address or telephone number, the reasons for the objection and any supporting documents. A class member cannot both opt out and object.
The instructions, the notice and the court documents are on the official Gofo Biometric Privacy Lawsuit website, which is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin.
What Happens Next?
The administrator is scheduled to send a first reminder notice by December 15, 2026 and a second by January 7, 2027. Class counsel must file the motion for final approval by January 15, 2027, and the administrator must file a supplemental report on late-arriving opt-outs and objections by January 19, 2027. At the January 20, 2027 hearing in Courtroom 1241 of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago, the court will decide whether to grant final approval and what fees, costs and service award to allow. The order says the court may move the hearing without further mailed notice, and any change is posted on the settlement website.Sources and Verification
- Official Gofo Biometric Privacy Lawsuit website, administered by JND Legal Administration: home page and documents page
- Notice of Class Action Settlement, Jiang v. Gofo, Inc., No. 1:25-cv-12826 (N.D. Ill.)
- Order Granting Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement, Dkt. 70, entered November 3, 2026
- Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, 740 ILCS 14
Questions
Are workers placed at Gofo by a staffing agency included?
Yes. The notice says individuals assigned to Gofo by staffing agencies or contractors are included if they meet the class definition. The court ordered Gofo to list the staffing agencies and contractors that supplied workers in Illinois so the administrator could collect their contact information for notice.
Why is the estimated payment $558 when the fund works out to $935 per person?
The $935 figure is the fund divided by the roughly 1,482 class members before anything is taken out. Attorneys' fees of up to 35% of the fund plus costs, administration costs and a service award of up to $10,000 come out first, and the notice estimates about $558 per person after those deductions. The final amount depends on what the court approves and how many people opt out.
Does the settlement require Gofo to delete the biometric data?
Yes. The preliminary approval order says Gofo will delete or destroy covered biometric data as provided in Section 6 of the settlement agreement.
Does the release cover the company that made the timeclocks?
No. Both the notice and the preliminary approval order say the release does not cover claims against the manufacturers of the biometric devices at issue.
What happens to checks that are never cashed?
Under the preliminary approval order, money from settlement checks still uncashed 180 days after they are issued goes, subject to further court approval, to the cy pres recipient, the Electronic Privacy Information Center. None of it returns to Gofo.
