Illinois Google Lawsuit • SAFE-T Act explained • new computer scam

CHICAGO – Illinois residents who appeared in a photograph on Google Photos could get a piece of a $100 million settlement, a new state law that takes effect next year is spurring pushback from Illinois law enforcement, and the Chicago FBI is warning residents of a new computer scam targeting older Illinoisans.

1. Illinois Google Lawsuit: Residents have less than 2 weeks to file settlement claim to receive payment Illinois residents who appeared in a photograph on Google Photos within the last seven years may be eligible to receive a portion of a $100 million settlement. However, they must file their claim by September 24 to receive a payment. A lawsuit alleged Google violated Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA, through its face grouping tool, which sorts faces in the app by similarity. The law, which went into effect in 2008, requires companies to receive a user’s consent to use such technology.

2. Illinois SAFE-T Act which will end cash bail explained A new state law that takes effect next year is spurring pushback from Illinois law enforcement. It’s called the SAFE-T Act, and it’s aimed at reforming Illinois’ cash bail system. A number of state’s attorneys and sheriffs are sounding the alarm about Illinois’ plan to end cash bail. The new law that goes into effect January 1st, 2023, gets rid of cash bail entirely. It also limits who can be arrested and held in jail based on the crime they are alleged to have committed.

3. Pritzker ‘sets record straight’ on Safe-T Act which ends cash bail in Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is addressing rumors that Illinois’ new Safe-T Act will be the onslaught of a real life “Purge.” On Tuesday, Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey said, “Chicago is living ‘The Purge’ when criminals ravage at will and the cops are told to stand down.” The Safe-T Act will make Illinois the first state to eliminate cash bail, allowing some alleged criminals to be released on a promise to appear in court. Governor Pritzker says the goal is address the economic disparities of the criminal justice system.

4. FBI Chicago warns of new computer scam targeting Illinois residents If you have parents or grandparents that aren’t tech-savvy, the FBI Chicago is asking you to give them a heads-up about a new scam targeting older Illinoisans. The scam starts with a pop-up window and for some victims, has ended in them losing thousands of dollars. The pop-up contains a phone number that is supposedly a well-known security software company. However, if you dial it, it leads to scammers claiming to be from a bank or the Social Security Administration.

5. Illinois residents who meet criteria to be issued tax rebates A number of Illinois residents could be receiving a tax rebate soon. Under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Illinois Family Relief Plan, one-time individual income tax and property tax rebates will be issued to those who meet certain criteria. Eligible residents will receive a check in the mail or money in their bank accounts.

6. Man robbed at gunpoint in Chicago alley speaks out A man was robbed at gunpoint in an attack that was caught on surveillance video last Friday morning in the Bucktown neighborhood. Ryan King, 30, had just gotten done at the gym when the terrifying moment occurred around 11 a.m. Video from a neighbor’s camera in the alley showed one of the suspects going through King’s pockets while the gun was still pointed at him. He says one of the suspects demanded his wallet.

7. 13-year-old boy trying to break into Kia shot by concealed carry license holder, Chicago police say In Chicago last Sunday, a man with a concealed carry license shot a 13-year-old who was allegedly breaking into his Kia. Chicago police said the 13-year-old was also carrying a gun. The whole thing went down on South Langley in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood around 2:35 p.m.

8. Severe flooding on Chicago’s North Side, video shows cars submerged Parts of Chicago experienced severe flooding last Sunday, with roads blocked, basements underwater and water shooting up like geysers from streets. At least two drivers got caught in some deep water at the corner of Foster Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue on Chicago’s North Side. 

9. Driver plows down 4 people in Chicago parking lot after argument Chicago police say that four people were injured when a driver plowed them down in a parking lot after an argument. The crash happened outside Las Islas Marias in Bricktown Square along West Fullerton on the Northwest Side around 4:30 p.m. last Saturday. Family members said they often come to this restaurant. An argument that started inside spilled outside, and the driver of a black Tahoe hit four people in the parking lot and took off.

10. Pritzker, Bailey clash over TV ad that shows woman being attacked in Chicago Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is denouncing an independent campaign commercial that blames him for the rise in violent crime since he took office. His Republican challenger, State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), fired back that Pritzker is being divisive. The widely seen ad features surveillance-camera footage of a group attacking a lone woman on a street in the North Side Lake View neighborhood. There is no narration, just the victim’s blood-chilling screams as at least three people knock her to the ground and attack her.