Mark Zuckerberg Might Owe You Money, But You're Running Out Of Time To Collect
If you had an active Facebook account in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, Mark Zuckerberg might owe you some money. As part of the Cambridge Analytica scandal that plagued the social media giant, attorneys from Keller Rohrback reached a settlement of $725 million for the class action lawsuit, which will be distributed among eligible Facebook users. However, time is running out to stake your claim. All claims must be received by August 25, approximately one month from today.
Exactly how much money each claimant can expect to receive is unknown. The per-person payment amount will depend on how many total users choose to file a claim and how long an account was active. Legal and administrative fees will also be deducted from the settlement amount. Eligible Facebook users can make a claim by visiting the dedicated settlement website, entering their contact information and Facebook profile username, and confirming the eligibility requirements of U.S. residency and being active on the platform within the proper timeframe.
What exactly caused the settlement
For those unfamiliar with the matter, Meta, Facebook's parent company, is settling the lawsuit because it allowed the British research firm Cambridge Analytica to access users' personal information during the 2016 election cycle. Specifically, the data mining firm was connected to Donald Trump's presidential campaign through its then-strategist, Steve Bannon. According to the Associated Press, Cambridge Analytica gained access to the personal information of 87 million Facebook users via payments made to an app developer at the social media juggernaut. That information was then used to target U.S. voters.
Besides the $725 million settlement to Facebook users — the largest ever for a privacy-related lawsuit — the company also paid a whopping $5 billion to the Federal Trade Commission and an additional $100 million penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Despite agreeing to these payments, Meta continues to deny any wrongdoing. In a public statement, CEO Mark Zuckerburg commented, "I'm sorry we didn't do more at the time. We're now taking steps to ensure this doesn't happen again."
Once again, if you're a U.S. resident with a Facebook account active between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, you have approximately one month remaining to claim a share of the $725 million class action settlement. The claim form can be completed online at facebookuserprivacysettlement.com.