Facebook Users Can Now File a Claim For $725 Million Privacy Settlement (cnbc.com) 49
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: Facebook users have until August to claim their share of a $725 million class-action settlement of a lawsuit alleging privacy violations by the social media company, a new website reveals. The lawsuit was prompted in 2018 after Facebook disclosed that the information of 87 million users was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.
People who had an active U.S. Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022 have until Aug. 25 to enter a claim. Individual settlement payments haven't yet been established because payouts depend on how many users submit claims and how long each user maintained a Facebook account. Facebook users can make a claim by visiting Facebookuserprivacysettlement.com and entering their name, address, email address, and confirming they lived in the U.S. and were active on Facebook between the aforementioned dates.
People who had an active U.S. Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022 have until Aug. 25 to enter a claim. Individual settlement payments haven't yet been established because payouts depend on how many users submit claims and how long each user maintained a Facebook account. Facebook users can make a claim by visiting Facebookuserprivacysettlement.com and entering their name, address, email address, and confirming they lived in the U.S. and were active on Facebook between the aforementioned dates.
Give Me My 37 Cents (Score:4, Funny)
So the users get to split $25,000 and the lawyers get the rest I assume.
No I did not read the article.
Re:Give Me My 37 Cents (Score:5, Informative)
As best I can figure, 25% goes to the lawyers, leaving a bit under $600 million for class members.
The estimates are that there are 250 to 280 million class members. If one in four actually files a claim, that works about to about $6 each. Less if more file.
And unless you want to give them bank account details, your only option is a prepaid debit card. If that works the way it usually does - issued by the lowest bidder - it will probably cost $5 of that to check your balance.
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You can also use PayPal.
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Does Starbucks take PayPal? Cuz that's still only about enough for a latte.
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As best I can figure, 25% goes to the lawyers, leaving a bit under $600 million for class members.
The estimates are that there are 250 to 280 million class members. If one in four actually files a claim, that works about to about $6 each. Less if more file.
And unless you want to give them bank account details, your only option is a prepaid debit card. If that works the way it usually does - issued by the lowest bidder - it will probably cost $5 of that to check your balance.
ugh, definitely not worth the trouble.
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I agree. Even though it only takes a few minutes, my time is still worth more than that.
Some people, however, values spite more than their time, and more power to them.
Re:Give Me My 37 Cents (Score:4, Funny)
You posted on Slashdot 6 times yesterday, obviously your time isn't THAT valuable LOL.
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The spite motivation is exactly what motivated me to look at the webform. I believe my Facebook account was politically assassinated to celebrate the 2022 election, but Facebook "Don't say nuttin'."
But the webform disqualified me anyway. Someone else will get my 37 cents and Facebook won't even have the nuisance of checking up on me. Which should be impossible and therefore possibly quite expensive if Facebook actually deleted my personal information as "promised" during the assassination...
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The article says 87 million.
But yes, lawyers take home megayachts, "victims" get a coupon for free fries in the virtual world of their choice.
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I took that option.
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Me too. I suppose I can always frame the check.
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So the users get to split $25,000 and the lawyers get the rest I assume.
Or you can get a 5% rebate on your next Facebook product purchase.
This would be the incentive of choice for me to finally buy that Quest VR headset: I'm dying to meet a few creepy legless figures in the Zuckerverse.
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Probably correct, but I did at one time many years ago get $35 from one of these suits. I think it had to do with health insurance.
Fill your clain today, may be enough for a latte (Score:2)
Afther all attorney fees are payed. And there is the risk that some ramsomware gang targets the digital form holders, and gets your personal data...
Win-Win (wink)
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Not like any data the ransomware gang will get is secret anyway, with all the "leaks" going on... /s
Until people actually start going to jail, "security has no ROI" will be a core rule in many businesses.
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Google says 239 million people in America use Facebook. The math says even if the lawyers worked for free (which they didn't), you'd be getting around $3.03.
It's been awhile since I've looked at whatever Starbucks calls their "small" latte costs, but I don't think you're getting one on Zuck's dime anytime soon.
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Ah, but your share of the amount is based on how many months within the affected period you were a member of Faceboot.
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Ah, but your share of the amount is based on how many months within the affected period you were a member of Faceboot.
I'd imagine most people signed up for Facebook back when it was actually cool. They seem to have something of an aging demographic going on.
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/o\ (Score:1)
1) An American company has been found to be at fault in the processing of it's users' data.
2) It's users are global.
3) Only American users may have the abuse compensated.
4) Conclusion: American companies can do whatever they like outside the US.
This laws-have-borders BS is not fit for the modern world.
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1) An American company has been found to be at fault in the processing of it's users' data.
2) It's users are global.
3) Only American users may have the abuse compensated.
4) Conclusion: American companies can do whatever they like outside the US.
This laws-have-borders BS is not fit for the modern world.
We (as I am a non-US facebook user) are free to sue in our own countries and jurisdictions, and get compensations according to the laws of our jurisdictions (which are different to the laws of the US).
This is of little consolation to me specifically, since my jurisdiction is a steaming pile of Sh17, but my breathen in the UK, EU, JP, Oz and KR may be more fortunate...
Re: /o\ (Score:1)
Eventually the CIA will have this 'one world united under a single government of peace and mutual respect' thing sorted out and we can get into the modern world.
Its not it's (Score:3)
Re: Its not it's (Score:1)
An honest typo. I'm a fanatical anti-greengrocers' apostrophe person myself. It's everywhere. Recruiters on LinkedIn. I guess it's just a side-effect of being old when you've been around enough to see language mutilated and thus changed for everyone by the uncaring majority
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It's unavoidable, but if it happens before we are ready, it won't matter anyway.
Re: /o\ (Score:1)
What difference does it make? Name one country where the will of the people is manifested in policy. No rush. I'll wait.
Re: /o\ (Score:1)
*shrug*
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik... [wikipedia.org]
Phishing? (Score:3, Interesting)
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The address is mentioned in the press release: https://www.bfalaw.com/news/co... [bfalaw.com]
BFA Law is associated with one of the court appointed lawyers for the case: https://www.bfalaw.com/profess... [bfalaw.com]
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Because either the court put it up (unlikely) and a government IT jockey that learned HTML in the early 2000s got assigned to do it or more likely, Facebook had to put it up and they either hired some fly-by-night settlement lowest-bidder company to do it or had the intern at Facebook throw it up in under an hour because there's no money to be made by doing this well.
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The site looks simple because nobody is permitted to put ads all over it.
It works well and does what it's supposed to do, or at least appears to. If it actually does (and I did get an email confirmation implying that it does) and it does it at the minimum cost, then it's an unqualified success.
By all means, don't sign up. More for the rest of us. I've been a Fb user throughout the entire qualifying period, so I stand to get the maximum benefit. If lots of people think it's a scam (I did get to the link thro
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Go on, celebrate!
Merry-go-round (Score:1)
> There are several news sites that claim it is real, and maybe it is, but do you really want to do this to collect your $7?
If they violate my privacy, maybe I can get another $7 after the next settlement.
Privacy Policy is for wrong site (Score:1)
I like how the privacy policy is for a different site ("www.angeiongroup.com"). It gives me a lot of confidence in the security of my information. I realize that Angeion Group is probably the administrator for the settlement, but I would still expect at least a search-and-replace update in the privacy policy to include the "facebookuserprivacysettlement.com" address.
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Public Service Announcement: Anyone affected by the $520 million dollar Angeon Group data abuse settlement associated with the $725 Million dollar Facebook settlement may file their claim information online at the following address:
/s
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Snail mail option for a check is available (Score:2)
Just saying!
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Fair. I gave it my venmo because its balance always sits at $0, but I did notice that option, which a true phishing site would never have because it doesn't net them anything valuable.
Why can't FB just add a button? (Score:2)
Facebook users can make a claim by visiting Facebookuserprivacysettlement.com and entering their name, address, email address, and confirming they lived in the U.S. and were active on Facebook between the aforementioned dates.
You mean, FB don't know which user is American or located in the US even though one can enter their location right there in the FB profile?
Or that FB itself isn't a website and they cannot simply add a "File Claim" button somewhere?
The court should sanction FB for contempt of the courts for making this so complicated.
What about shadow profiles? (Score:3)
Opt out (Score:3, Insightful)
These things are never worth it (Score:2)
Plus, there's never any real reason for anyone to guarantee actual payment--they've already been paid.
I remember that MS hardware one years ago, I used a physical address that my parents had lived in since 1963. Somehow, magically, I received nothing. Repeated a few years later with some other suit: same result, got nothing.
Because the lawyers don't really care once they're paid.
Hand Slap (Score:1)
Seven hundred million is a pathetically small penalty. They will hardly even notice it. The penalty should have been 10% or $16 billion.