Facebook's $725 Million Privacy Settlement: Claim your share before it's too late!
A historic, colossal settlement was formalized in December 2022. As far as class-action settlements go, this one trumps them all, setting the record as the most massive of its kind. Spearheaded by the formidable legal juggernaut Keller Rohrback, the class action was squarely against Facebook and its privacy breaches. This gargantuan $725 million settlement serves as an urgent call to action for Facebook users who have just a month left to stake their claims.
A Settlement Steeped in Controversy
This class-action suit is a fallout from the notorious Cambridge Analytica scandal that sent shockwaves through the U.S. electoral system and Silicon Valley. The suit concluded several years of litigation revolving around Facebook’s contentious role in inappropriately sharing data with a data consultancy employed by Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Taken as a whole, the Cambridge Analytica debacle resulted in a staggering financial blow to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, amounting to nearly $5.9 billion. Besides the record-breaking $725 million settlement, Meta paid an additional $5 billion to the Federal Trade Commission and a $100 million penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Meta: A Transformation
2011 marked a transformative period for Facebook, rebranding itself as Meta and resolving the lawsuit a year later. While the repercussions of the Cambridge Analytica scandal still linger, Meta has transitioned into an entity far removed from its earlier version. As part of its expansive foray into the metaverse, the company has launched new hardware products like the Quest 3, slated for a fall release. It has also unveiled Llama 2, its robust large language artificial intelligence model, Reels as a rival to TikTok, and Threads, its latest attempt to compete with Twitter.
However, it is essential to note that the $725 million settlement does not imply an admission of guilt on Meta’s part.
Claim Your Share: Steps and Eligibility
Facebook users eager to stake their claim in the settlement can do so by visiting Facebookuserprivacysettlement.com. On the website, you will be required to provide your name, address, and email address. Moreover, you need to confirm your residency in the U.S. and active use of Facebook during the specified dates.
The criteria for eligibility are clear: anyone who maintained an active U.S. Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022 has up until Aug. 25 to file a claim. The exact amount of individual settlement payouts is yet to be determined, depending mainly on the number of users who file claims and the duration of each user’s Facebook activity.
Who’s Included in the Settlement?
The settlement spans a class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and includes all Facebook users in the United States who were active between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. This settlement is part of the lawsuit known as In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, Case No. 3:18-md-02843-VC (N.D. Cal.). Meta, the defendant, continues to deny any violation of the law.
The settlement and its implications are significant whether you decide to take action or not, so read the Notice thoroughly and understand your rights.
