Documents submitted in California courts last week are shedding light on how much Facebook users could receive as part of a $725 million class action lawsuit concerning privacy issues.
It’s common for large monetary settlements to shrink due to legal and administrative fees before they reach individuals. This class action affects nearly all U.S. Facebook users from 2007 to 2022, meaning millions are in line for a share.
When attorneys presented in court two years ago, they reported they were examining around 28 million claims. “As far as we know, that’s the largest number of claims ever submitted in a class action case in the U.S.,” remarked Leslie Weaver, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
Following a review to verify legitimate claims while rejecting any fraudulent ones, Angeion, the firm managing the payouts, has now completed its calculations to determine individual payments, which should start this month.
How much could you get?
The smallest payment could be $4.89, while the highest may reach $38.36, as outlined in court documents. The average payment is expected to be around $29.43, which actually aligns pretty well with prior estimates.
Your payout could vary widely—from nearly $5 to about $40—based on how long you maintained a Facebook account during the relevant period. The system awards 1 point for each month you had an account between May 2007 and December 2022, with a cap of 188 points, allowing for the maximum payment.
If you’ve earned fewer points, expect a smaller amount—payments for claims with at least 24 months of account activation in that time frame start at $4.89.
Interestingly, the lower payouts may discourage some recipients from claiming their payments at all, according to court documents.
What’s the lawsuit about?
Facebook agreed to the $725 million settlement after allegations surfaced that it shared user data with third parties without consent, notably with Cambridge Analytica, which assisted Donald Trump during the 2016 election. This firm reportedly accessed data for up to 87 million users.
While Meta has committed to paying, it continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Angeion has started distributing the payments, a process projected to take about 10 weeks.
