If you are one of Facebook users, you may be aware of various controversies surrounding the company. In recent years, it has faced a dozen legal challenges that range from data privacy concerns to allegations of censorship and discrimination. One of the newest cases involves Facebook and its users.
Five years ago, Facebook announced that data from about 87 million accounts was improperly obtained and shared with the British political consultancy group called Cambridge Analytica. Most of these accounts were based in the United States.
It has been five years since the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Since then, Facebook users may be able to earn money from the company due to issues caused by it. Apparently, Facebook, which is the social media owned by Meta, reached a $725 million class-action settlement this week because the company shared the data belonging to the users without getting permission. It is possible for these users to fill out a claim form if they want to get a piece of pie. For those who are interested in this, make sure to check out everything below.
Who is the One That Qualifies to Get a Payment?
Any Facebook user who used this social media between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 is allowed to submit a claim. You are still qualified even if you no longer have a Facebook account.
What Should You Do If You Want to Get Money from the Facebook Settlement?
If you want to get money from the Facebook settlement, you cannot just sit on your sofa without doing anything. In order to get a piece of pie, you have to submit a claim. Do not expect to get the payment if you are too lazy to submit one. If you are thinking of suing Facebook on your own for the same privacy violation with the intention to get more money, just forget it because there is no way for you to do it.
For anyone who wants to get money from the Facebook settlement, all that you have to do is to fill out a simple form. There are several ways to do it. The first one can be done online by visiting facebookuserprivacysettlement.com. This one is recommended as it is the easiest. Here is step by step to follow by those who prefer this way:
- Firstly, go to facebookuserprivacysettlement.com.
- When you are on the website, find the Submit Claim located at the top of the homepage and click it.
- In case you are blank and need instructions, please choose Click for General Instructions.
- Then, fill out the form by entering a few things such as your name, postal address, Facebook username and email address or addresses that are related to your Facebook account.
- If you have not used your account since a long time ago and you lost your credentials, please recover your Facebook account to find your username.
- Lastly, select your payment option. There are several options to choose from, including PayPal, MasterCard, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit, and check.
Keep in mind that you are allowed to claim in once on your behalf, even if you have more than one account. If you want to make a claim for your family members, just do it with their own accounts.
Apart from online through facevookuserprivacysettlement.com, you can also file a claim by downloading, printing, and mailing the form to the following address:
Settlement Administrator
Facebook Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation
c/o Settlement Administrator
1650 Arch St., Suite 2210
Philadelphia, PA 19103
In addition, you can also call 1-855-556-2233 to request a form or send an email to info@FacebookUserPrivacySettlement.com.
When is the Right Time to File a Claim?
If you want to file a claim, there is still a chance for you to do it because it is due on August 25, 2023. In case you want to opt out of the settlement, you can still do it until July 25.
How Much Can You Earn from the Facebook Lawsuit?
No one knows how much a user can earn from the Facebook lawsuit. There are a few factors that can determine it. One of them is a number of people that fill out a claim form.
Be aware that the money from this case will go to the pocket of the lawyers who are in charge of handling this case. It is stated that they can claim up to ¼ of the $725 million or a little more than $180 million. Apparently, there are eight named plaintiffs in this case and each of them could get a maximum of $15,000. As for the rest of the money, it will be shared to the other users.
Even if the money that you will get is little, you are still recommended to file a claim to send a message to the companies. When filing a claim, the main purpose is not compensation, it is its deterrence, as stated by a professor of law at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles who specializes in class actions named Adam Zimmerman.
When Will You Get the Money?
It is stated that the final hearing to approve the settlement does not happen until September. Even if the settlement is approved, the process of appeals would still be long. If everything comes to final, it could take at least 3 months for the payment process to start, according to Zimmerman.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
