Meta (formerly Facebook) might owe people who used the social media site between 2007 and 2022 some money due to privacy infringement, according to Mashable.
The social media giant has reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit where it admits no fault in the claims against the company, but has agreed to pay out $725 million in damages. The money is available to all who submit a claim by the appropriate deadline of August 25, 2023. If you are (or were) a Facebook user, here’s how to know if you’re eligible and get your share of the settlement.
How to know if you’re eligible
There are various stipulations you should take into consideration, including that the $725 million award will be truncated after Meta pays its legal and administrative fees. There are also eligibility, filing, and opt-out dates you want to note.
To be eligible for a claim, you must have been a Facebook user between the dates of May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. It’s that simple, and yes, that probably includes you and almost everyone you know.
How to file a claim
To receive a financial award, you must also submit an eligible claim by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 25, 2023. If you wish to opt out at this time, which gives you the opportunity to continue to legally defend yourself or do so in the future, you must submit your opt-out claim by July 26, 2023. If you object to the settlement, you can attend a hearing on July 26, 2023, or express so in writing by the same deadline.
You can also do nothing. Taking no action means you will get no financial award and cannot take any further legal action against Meta in similar cases.
There will be no specific details on how much money claimants will be entitled to until we know how many people submitted claims for compensation. Those interested in learning more information and filing a claim can do so at FacebookUserPrivacySettlement.com. Those who are submitting claims should also add the Confirmation@FacebookUserPrivacySettlement.com email to their contact list to ensure they are being updated on time.
A final approval hearing will take place at 1 p.m. PT on September 7, 2023, before claimants receive their financial awards.
Apple went through a similar ordeal in January of being ordered to pay out a $50 million settlement to owners of MacBook laptops sold between 2015 and 2019 that had the notoriously defective butterfly keyboards.
This particular suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California as an overall juncture of claims over the years. It has detailed that Meta’s social media arm, Facebook, has not only left users’ data exposed to third parties, but their friend’s data as well. The suit added that Facebook had no rules or privacy protection in place for how third parties should interact with its user’s data.
As noted by Mashable, Meta has had a slew of lawsuits charging that the company has allowed third parties to have free reign over user data without their permission over a major chunk of the brand’s existence.
Mashable highlighted as a prime example Facebook allowing data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica unbridled access to user data. This firm is no longer in business, but previously worked with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
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