Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been floating the idea of having a mixed martial arts fight with Elon Musk, but that’s not the only battle he’s currently facing. Thanks to a series of class-action lawsuits, his company, Meta, may be on the hook for a massive settlement, and you may be entitled to a portion of the money.
According to CNN, Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to resolve a series of lawsuits alleging the company permitted third parties to access user data, including locations, birthdays, and even direct messages sent within the site. The information was shared with Cambridge Analytica and was believed to have helped build voter profiles that were utilized in the 2016 presidential election. Meta has denied any wrongdoing.
If you’re a Facebook user, chances are you’re eligible to be paid a portion of the settlement. It applies to those who had an active account between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. The longer your account was open during that period, the more you’re entitled to. As for when you’ll actually get the money, that depends on final court approvals and any potential appeals. A final hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 7.
Class-action resolutions don’t typically result in large windfalls for claimants, and how much you’ll receive depends on how many claims are made. It’s likely you’ll receive anywhere from a few dollars to enough for a decent takeout meal. (To receive the most amount of money possible, it helps to become a class-action attorney.)
There’s really no catch, either, aside from the fact that you must opt-in by 11:59 PST on Friday, August 25. You can use the online claim form to submit your information. Hopefully it’ll remain confidential this time.
This article was originally published on www.mentalfloss.com as Thanks to a Privacy Breach, Facebook May Owe You Some Money—But You Have Just a Week Left to Collect.
