Did you use Facebook in the U.S. between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022? Then you may be eligible for a portion of the $725 million settlement payment due to a class action lawsuit against Meta, Facebook's parent company. The lawsuit was based on Facebook's sharing of users' data without their consent. The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the personal information of 87 million Facebook users was collected without their permission, is one prime example.
Meta agreed to a settlement in December 2022, and preliminary approval for a $725 million settlement was issued at the end of March. Final approval is expected on September 7, 2023.
To be eligible to receive a cash payment, you have to file a claim between now and August 25, 2023. Here's how to file your claim:
- Go to the In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation site.
- Click on Submit your Claim Form online or download the Claim Form and download the "Claim Form" PDF document if you'd prefer to mail in your form.
- Fill in your name, mailing address, and current email.
- Confirm that you resided in the U.S. and were a Facebook user between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. (You can file a claim even if you've deleted your Facebook account.)
- Enter an email address, phone number, or Facebook username associated with your Facebook account.
- Choose how you'd like to be paid – prepaid Mastercard, PayPal, Venmo, direct bank deposit, or Zelle.
- Sign the document.
The size of your cash payment will depend on various factors, including how many claimants there are (out of the approximately 250 million Facebook users in the U.S.) and how many months you were a Facebook user between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. The Settlement Benefits FAQ explains that you'll receive one point for every month you were active. And the money will be divided after expenses, lawyers' fees, etc. So don't make big plans for your cash. However, it is money you didn't have before, so you may as well file a claim.
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For the past 20+ years, Techlicious founder Suzanne Kantra has been exploring and writing about the world’s most exciting and important science and technology issues. Prior to Techlicious, Suzanne was the Technology Editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and the Senior Technology Editor for Popular Science. Suzanne has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC.
From Lynn M Graves on April 21, 2023 :: 12:22 pm
settlement
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