Facebook users with accounts that were active within the last 15 years are eligible to apply for their share of a more than $700 million class-action settlement.
Facebook, Inc., now known as Meta Platforms, Inc., must pay out $725 million to users of the social media platform as a result of a class-action settlement over numerous privacy violation allegations and subsequent lawsuits.
Although Facebook denied violating any laws, the social media platform agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit for nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
To apply for the class-action settlement, you must have been a Facebook user in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022.
To receive payment from the settlement in cash, users must submit a timely and properly completed claim form no later than August 25, 2023, according to the summary of legal rights and settlement options. The deadline for eligible users to object or opt out of the settlement is July 26, 2023.
If an eligible Facebook user submits a claim form and is approved by the designated Settlement Administrator, the user cannot pursue additional litigation over related legal disputes, the contract explains.
Users can either submit their claim form online or download the document and mail it to the Settlement Administrator. Users may also call the Settlement Administrator to request a paper copy of the claim form. The claim form will ask for the applicant’s name, address, email, and Facebook user name, among other general information.
Projections for the number of Facebook users in the United States from 2018 to 2027 show that the social media platform is estimated to have 243.58 million active users in the U.S., data from Statista shows.
With the lawyers expected to walk away with 25% of the $725 million settlement, it is unlikely that individual users will come away with very much.
The settlement’s final approval hearing is currently scheduled for September 7, 2023.