Facebook users have 1 month to claim their share of $725 million settlement over privacy violations

Facebook users have until nearly the end of August 2023 to apply for their share of a massive settlement payout of $725 million that the social media giant was ordered to pay.

The Facebook settlement stemmed from the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018 when the company revealed that 87 million users, most of them in America, had information improperly shared with the data firm.

It also revealed that “most” users had their information accessed through another feature that had been later fixed.

In a statement, Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mark Schroepfer said that “In total, we believe the Facebook information of up to 87 million people — mostly in the US — may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.”

After originally claiming that only 270,000 users were affected, a whistleblower claimed that that number was actually 50 million.

Facebook eventually banned Cambridge Analytica.

As reported by NBC News, the whole ordeal cost Meta nearly $5.9 billion; $725 million in the user settlement and a record $5 billion to the FTC, plus another $100 million to the SEC.

Facebook users who had an active Facebook account in the United States between May 2007 and December 2022 have until August 25, 2023, to file a claim.

Users can visit FacebookUserPrivacySettlement.com and apply using their name, address, email address, and answering whether they have an active or deleted account that was used between the aforementioned dates.

Payment amounts have not yet been determined, as they will depend on how many users submit claims. Payment amounts also reportedly depend on how long each user maintained the Facebook account for.

At the time, founder Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress and apologized in his infamous statements. “I’m sorry we didn’t do more at the time. We’re now taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Zuckerberg said.

The billionaire was relentlessly trolled online during the testimony, with most comparing his movements and the way he drank water to a robot.

Officially, the $725 million settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing by Facebook or Meta.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!