Do You Qualify to Join Facebook’s Class Action Suit? Here’s How to Know

Everyone who used Facebook over the past 15 years qualifies for the $725 million class action lawsuit against Facebook.

A class action lawsuit is when a group of people who’ve been wronged in a similar way collectively bring a lawsuit against a corporation or institution instead of filing individual lawsuits. When a class action lawsuit is successful, the payout is distributed among the plaintiffs based on the extent of their individual damages.

Damages can be physical, financial or environmental, and some notable class-action lawsuits have settled for billions of dollars. One notable class-action suit was against Dow Corning, which paid over $3.2 billion in 1998 to women claiming injuries and illnesses due to silicone breast implants. In 2008, Enron shareholders received $7.2 billion in the largest securities settlement of all time. In 2015, BP paid $20 million after a leaking oil well polluted 1,100 miles of shoreline and caused an explosion that killed 11 and injured 17 people.

Wherever there’s a lawsuit—or the potential for a lawsuit—there will be people who want a piece of the action. Over the years there have been some ridiculous fast-food lawsuits, and in the days of social media and having a video recorder in your pocket at all times, it’s wise to educate yourself on some of the everyday things you can get sued for.

Facebook has been the target of several class action lawsuits, but at the latest, its parent company, Meta, has agreed to pay $725 million due to privacy concerns.

Why was a class action lawsuit filed against Facebook?

The class action lawsuit against Facebook came after the personal information of 87 million users was sold to Cambridge Analytica, who used the data to psychologically profile and target undecided voters during the 2016 campaign season, which led to Donald Trump’s election as 45th president.

According to the Associated Press, “The lawsuit, which had been seeking to be certified as a class action representing Facebook users, had asserted the privacy breach proved Facebook is a ‘data broker and surveillance firm,’ as well as a social network.”

Do I qualify for a payout?

Gavel Hammer on a Smartphone Screen On Blue Background.New Look Casting/Getty Images

More than 100 million Facebook users are eligible for a payout. The settlement criteria are straightforward and state: “If you were a Facebook user in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, inclusive, you may be eligible for a cash payment.”

How to join Facebook’s class action lawsuit

If you’re a Facebook user who qualified for the class action lawsuit, you may have already received a notification, but you don’t have to wait for a notification to submit a claim. If you wish to join the class action lawsuit against Facebook, you must submit your claim by August 25, 2023, in advance of the final hearing on September 7, 2023.

You can file a claim online, or you can download, print and mail the form to the settlement Administrator. Filling out the form is simple and straightforward, and anyone who used the social media platform over the past 15 years is eligible. The longer you were on the platform, the more significant your payout may be, but users who quit Facebook are also eligible.

Source:

  • Associated Press: “Facebook parent Meta will pay $725M to settle user data case

Jaime Stathis
Jaime writes about technology, cybersecurity, careers and retirement for Reader's Digest and loves providing answers and solutions to life's complicated questions. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Parade, The Independent, Women’s Health, HuffPost, Insider and others.