WASHINGTON — Facebook users who had an account between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022, can now apply for their share of a $725 million class-action settlement.
The settlement is the result of numerous lawsuits against Facebook, now known as Meta, claiming the company shared private user data with data mining firm Cambridge Analytica and other third parties without their permission. They also claim Facebook did not sufficiently monitor and enforce its rules on third parties who had access to user data.
Meta, which denies any liability or wrongdoing, agreed in December 2022 to pay $725 million to resolve these claims outside of court.
Who is eligible for the Facebook settlement?
Most individuals who had an account at any point between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022. Facebook confirmed to VERIFY it has sent some users notifications from within the platform alerting them to the class-action lawsuit involving the company.
How to apply for the Facebook class-action settlement?
You can submit your claim online at facebookuserprivacysettlement.com or download the claim form and mail it in. You can also request a paper copy of the form by calling the settlement administrator at 1-855-556-2233. The deadline to submit your claim is Aug. 25, 2023.
As part of the claim process, you have to provide some personal info including your name, home address, e-mail and how you'd like to receive your share of the settlement.
How much could you get from the Facebook settlement?
That's the big question and we won't know the answer for at least several months because a number of factors are still unknown.
First, the court still needs to determine how much the lawyers involved in the case will receive from the $725 million settlement. According to the settlement agreement, that could be up to 25%.
After that, the answer will depend on how many other users submit valid claims and how long you were a user on Facebook during the eligible period.
Settlement payments will be distributed after the court grants final approval of the settlement and after any appeals are resolved. A final approval hearing for the settlement of this case has been scheduled for Sept. 7, 2023.
What happens if you don't submit a claim in the Facebook settlement?
If you don't do anything, you won't receive a payment from the class-action settlement. You also forfeit your right to sue Meta about the legal issues in this matter, according to the settlement website.
VERIFY contributed to this report.