Meta users have less than one month left to apply for their share of a $725 million settlement over Facebook privacy violations.
- In 2018, it was revealed that Facebook had allowed the British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to access the personal data of up to 87 million users without their consent.
- This led to a class action lawsuit being filed against Facebook, alleging that the company had violated users' privacy.
- In December 2022, Meta (Facebook's parent company) agreed to pay $725 million to settle the lawsuit.
- The settlement is the largest ever reached in a data privacy class action lawsuit.
- Meta did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
- Users who had accounts on Facebook between May 2007 and December 2022 are eligible to receive a share of the settlement.
The Meta class action lawsuit is one of several legal challenges that the company is facing. In addition to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Meta is also facing lawsuits over its alleged misuse of user data for advertising purposes.
The company is also facing scrutiny from regulators around the world. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is investigating Meta's privacy practices. And in the European Union, Meta is facing a fine of up to €10 billion for violating the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation.
The Meta class action lawsuit is a significant development in the ongoing battle over privacy on social media. The settlement sends a message to other tech companies that they will be held accountable for their data practices. It also provides some relief to the millions of users whose data was improperly shared by Facebook.
Here are some additional details about the allegations against Meta:
- The lawsuit alleged that Meta violated users' privacy by allowing Cambridge Analytica to access their personal data without their consent.
- The lawsuit also alleged that Meta misled users about how their data was being collected and used.
- Meta has denied the allegations, but agreed to settle the lawsuit in order to avoid further legal costs and bad publicity.
The settlement is a significant victory for the plaintiffs, but it is also a reminder that social media companies need to be more transparent about how they collect and use user data.