(NEXSTAR) – A significant number of individuals impacted by a $725 million settlement regarding Facebook’s privacy practices are starting to receive their payments. If you haven’t seen yours yet, you might feel a bit out of the loop.
The payments were initially expected to kick off on September 3, with distributions occurring over a 10-week period, wrapping up around November 12.
However, the payment management company, Anzion, has shut down after processing 28 million claims. This overwhelming response is likely due to the expansive eligibility criteria; essentially, anyone in the U.S. who had a Facebook account between 2007 and 2022 qualified.
To receive a payout, Facebook users had to submit a claim, and the deadline for that was back in August 2023—so it’s a bit of a retroactive thing.
If you’re waiting for a payment and think you should have received one, it’s best to hold on until mid-November since the payment distribution isn’t complete yet. You should also be on the lookout for an email labeled “Payment Completion Information,” which will arrive a few days before your payment is processed.
If you haven’t yet received your payment, it might be worth checking your preferences—payments could come via Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, direct deposit, or even a prepaid debit card based on the options you selected when filing your claim.
For questions regarding your payment status, you can reach out via email. Just have your billing ID ready. There’s also a dedicated site for more detailed inquiries.
How much should I expect?
The payouts range quite a bit, with a minimum of $4.89 and a maximum of $38.36, based on court documents. The average payout is approximately $29.43.
Your specific amount depends on how long you held a Facebook account during the eligible period. A points system is used, where you earn one point for each month you had an account from May 2007 to December 2022. The most points possible is 188, which correlates to the maximum payment of about $38.
What was the lawsuit about?
The lawsuit arose from allegations that Facebook violated user privacy by sharing personal data with third parties, notably Cambridge Analytica, which was associated with Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, agreed to settle while firmly maintaining that they did nothing wrong.
