Facebook Probably Owes You Money
Facebook may not be your social platform of choice in 2023, but if you’ve had an active account at any point in the last 15 or so years, you may be eligible for free money.
Meta, which owns Facebook (as well as Instagram and WhatsApp), is paying out $725 million to current and former users in a class-action lawsuit over multiple lawsuits related to Facebook’s poor data privacy record. For example, users claimed that their data and that of their friends were shared with third parties without permission. US users starting in mid-2007 may be eligible to receive payment from the settlement agreement.
The exact amount you receive will ultimately depend on how many people have filed the claim, as well as the amount of legal and administrative fees associated with the claim. In any case, the fee is likely to be small, but at least something is better than nothing.
How to File a Settlement Claim on Facebook
To be eligible for Settlement Cash, you must use Facebook between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 and apply by August 25, 2023 at 11:59 PM PT.
Go digital on the settlement website, where you will provide your contact information, including your name, address, phone number, and email address, and at least one email address, phone number, and/or username associated with your Facebook account.
You must also verify that you were a Facebook user and lived in the United States between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022. If you had an account during the specified time period and then deleted it, you must provide a date range , were active.
You will also need to indicate your preferred payment method – MasterCard prepaid, PayPal, Venmo, direct deposit, or Zelle – if your application is approved by the settlement agreement.
The website also lists the address, email address, and telephone number of the Village Administrator in case you prefer to mail the form or have questions about the process.
Please note: If you feel you are interested in the Facebook circus, you must either apply (which will likely earn you some money) by August 25th or refuse (which will allow you to sue in the future if you choose) by August 26th July. If you do nothing – great if you don’t care – you give up the right to cash, as well as the right to sue Facebook separately.