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Facebook may owe you money after judge approves $725 million settlement
- A class action lawsuit was filed in 2018 after Facebook and Cambridge Analytica failed to delete Facebook user data that was unethically obtained.
- A federal judge has approved a deal between Meta and Facebook users for $725 million.
- Facebook users who used the social platform between May 2007 to December 2022 are eligible for a payout.
Facebook‘s parent company — Meta — is not new to class action lawsuits. But its most recent settlement may have broken a record in the US. And if you used Facebook between May 2007 to December 2022, you may be entitled to some of that money.
Last month, a federal judge approved a massive $725 million settlement for a lawsuit involving Meta. The company has agreed to the payment to settle a privacy class action lawsuit claiming Facebook shared personal data with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica.
The lawsuit was sparked after it was revealed that Meta and Cambridge Analytica — a data firm that worked with Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign — gathered Facebook user data without consent. That personal information was misused to serve political ads and fuel voter targeting. Additionally, it was found that the two companies also failed to delete that data.
While Meta denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to a settlement in December to avoid litigation and increasing legal fees. According to a statement from Keller Rohrback L.L.P., the $725 million settlement is “the largest settlement ever of a privacy class action in the United States.”
How to get paid for the Facebook settlement
Although the final approval won’t happen until September, Facebook users can start filing a claim right now. If you used Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, you are eligible to file a claim. However, this only applies to users who were living in the US at the time.
To get your payment, you’ll need to submit a claim before August 25 at 11:59 Pacific Time. This can be done either by filing a claim online or filling out a form and sending it by mail.
How much users get paid from the Facebook settlement will depend on a few factors. One such factor will be how much is taken out for legal fees and expenses. Another factor will be how long the user used Facebook during the time span. It will also depend on how many people submit claims.