Summary
What happened?
Facebook, also known as Meta, got in trouble because they didn’t keep people’s personal information safe. They now have to pay a lot of money now – $725 million, to be exact! This happened because a company named Cambridge Analytica was able to get the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users without asking for their permission first. They used this information to try and change people’s minds during the 2016 US presidential election, which impacted how votes were chosen by Americans.
If you or your parents had a Facebook account sometime between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, you might be able to get some money from this settlement. You don’t have to prove (Yay!) that your information was taken by Cambridge Analytica or other companies to get the money.
A lot of people were unhappy that their information was shared, so they asked for some money. Over 28 million people asked for money, but only around 17 million of them will actually get it. Because so many people asked for money, each person might only get about $30, but it could be a little more or less. Although, only 17 million will get money; you could be one of those people if you file today!
The settlement was approved on October 10, 2023, which means Facebook will start paying people around the end of March 2024. If you or your family asked for money but have questions or were told you can’t get the money, there are ways to ask again or change your information.
This whole situation shows how important it is for social media companies like Facebook to keep our personal information safe. It also shows that these companies can get in big trouble when they don’t protect our information the right way. Hopefully, this will make Facebook and other companies more careful with our information in the future.
Facebook Settlement Claim Timeline and Other Information
| Claim Submission | If you want to get money from this settlement, you need to fill out a Claim Form correctly and send it in on time. The last day to send in your Claim Form is August 25, 2023. You can fill out the Claim Form on the computer using the internet, or you can print it out and mail it to the Settlement Administrator. If you want a paper copy of the Claim Form, you can call the Settlement Administrator, and they will mail one to you. The Settlement Administrator will look at your Claim Form. If they approve your claim, you will get the money. However, if you accept the money, you agree not to sue the Defendant separately about the same legal issues or facts that this settlement is about. Make sure you read everything about the settlement carefully and follow the instructions to send in your Claim Form before the due date if you want to get the money. DUE DATE: August 25, 2023. DEADLINE HS PASSED! |
| Opt-out of Filing A Claim | If you don’t want to be part of the settlement, you can choose to opt out. This means you won’t get any money from the settlement. However, opting out allows you to sue or continue to sue the Defendant on your own about the same legal issues and facts covered in this settlement. You can also be part of a different lawsuit against the Defendant about these issues. If you decide to opt out and sue the Defendant by yourself, you can hire your own lawyer to help you, but you will have to pay for the lawyer yourself. DEADLINE: JULY 26, 2023. DEADLINE HAS PASSED! |
| Object to the Settlement and Request a Hearing | If you choose to stay in the settlement but don’t like something about it, you can write to the Court to explain what you don’t like. This is called objecting. When you object, you can ask the Court for permission to talk about your objection at a special meeting called the Final Approval Hearing. Even if you object to the settlement, you can still fill out a Claim Form to get money from the settlement if it is approved. If you want to learn more about objecting, you should read FAQ 23 on the settlement website or in the papers you received. Remember, if you want to object to the settlement, you must send your objection to the Court by July 26, 2023. If you don’t send it by this date, the Court won’t consider your objection. DEADLINE: JULY 26, 2023. DEADLINE HAS PASSED! |
How to File a Facebook Settlement Claim?
If you did not file a claim before August 25, 2023, you are out of luck. You can find more information at the following site:
www.facebookuserprivacysettlement.com
