You can now claim your share of a $725 million Facebook data privacy settlement. Here’s how

New York
CNN
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Facebook users who had an active account between May 2007 and December 2022 can now apply to receive a $725 million settlement from parent company Metas in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Meta in December agreed to the payment to settle a long-running class action lawsuit accusing it of allowing Cambridge Analytica and other third parties access to private user information and misleading users about their privacy practices.

The legal battle began four years agofollowing an international outcry over the company’s revelation that the private information of a staggering 87 million Facebook users had been obtained by Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics company that partnered with the Trump campaign.

The California judge overseeing the case granted preliminary approval for the settlement late last month, and Facebook users can now request a cash payment as part of a settlement.

The claim form requiring a few personal details and information about a user’s Facebook account can be completed online or printed and sent by mail. The form only takes a few minutes to complete and must be submitted before August 25 to be included as part of the settlement.

Any US Facebook user who had an active account sometime between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 is eligible to be part of the settlement class, including those who have since deleted their accounts.

It is not yet clear how much each settlement payment will be. The fund will be distributed among class members who submit valid claims based on how long they had an active Facebook account during the relevant time period, according to an FAQ page on the settlement site.

A final hearing on the approval of the settlement is scheduled for September 7. The settlement payments will be distributed upon approval by the court, assuming no appeal has been filed.

Meta admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement. Facebook has made changes in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica incident, including limiting third-party access to user data and improving communications with users about how their data is collected and shared.

We have pursued a settlement because it is in the best interest of our community and shareholders, Meta spokesperson Dina Luce said in a statement following the December settlement agreement. Over the past three years, we have refreshed our approach to privacy and implemented a comprehensive privacy program. We look forward to continuing to build services that people love and trust, with privacy at the forefront.