Millions of Facebook users in the United States can apply for their share of a $725 million privacy settlement that the social media platform’s parent company Meta agreed to pay last year. The payment is part of a class-action lawsuit over the company’s alleged unauthorized sharing of user data with third parties. Facebook revealed the problem in 2018 after it became public that a third party had harvested up to 87 million people’s personal information and shared it with Cambridge Analytica, a political analytics firm working for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Those who had an active account on the site between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, can now claim their payout at a newly launched website. Plaintiffs’ lawyers estimate between 250 and 280 million people will be eligible to receive a payment from the settlement fund. However, how much each person will get has yet to be established. The individual payouts depend on how long the person maintained their account and the total amount of claims submitted, according to a frequently asked questions page on the settlement site.
The settlement website asks claimants to provide a few basic details, including dates of their most recent activity and the most recent Facebook username or email address, along with their chosen method for receiving payments, which include PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or a direct deposit via ACH. It also asks whether they agree to the settlement terms and wish to retain the right to take separate legal action against Meta over the data breach.
Users can file their claim online at the settlement website by submitting a form on or before August 25. They can also download forms to mail to the settlement administrator in Philadelphia. The website has helpful tips on how to complete the form, which includes a list of required documents.
A judge granted the settlement preliminary approval at the end of March – it will still have to be approved at a final hearing set for September 7, and there could be appeals that delay things further. Meta has denied wrongdoing and says it will make changes after the Cambridge Analytica scandal to restrict third-party access to user data and improve communications about how their information is used.
The settlement is the most significant recovery ever in a privacy case and the highest amount paid to settle a private class action, the plaintiff’s attorneys said in their motion seeking approval for the deal. It needs to be clarified how many objections will be filed. However, the plaintiffs’ attorneys say they expect a small percentage of the estimated class of users to object to the settlement terms.
