People in the United States who held a Facebook account within the last 16 years now have approximately two days remaining to submit a claim for compensation as part of a data privacy settlement.
In December, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, reached an agreement to pay $725 million in order to resolve a series of class action lawsuits centered around privacy concerns. These lawsuits asserted, among other allegations, that Facebook allowed external parties to reach users' private information, as well as that of their friends, without obtaining users' consent.
This involves the private Facebook data of around 70 million users located in the United States. The data was accessed by the political consulting company Cambridge Analytica, which had been engaged with the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.
Here is the essential information to be aware of if you're contemplating submitting a claim in this:
Who qualifies for submitting a claim?
If you were a Facebook user in the United States at any time from May 24, 2007, to December 22, 2022, you are eligible to file a claim.
What's the deadline?
To submit your claim, you need to use this form and ensure it's submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, August 25, if you're opting for online filing. If you're choosing to file by mail, your envelope should have a postmark no later than August 25.
How much compensation will you receive?
The amount varies based on three factors: 1) the number of valid claims filed; 2) your active usage duration on Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022; and 3) the final net settlement fund after deducting administrative, legal, and other associated costs.
According to Meta, your compensation will be determined based on the duration of your Facebook usage. For each month your account was active, you'll receive one point. These points will be summed across all eligible claimants, and then the total settlement amount will be divided by this cumulative point count. This calculation will establish the payment you'll receive for each active month.
