Facebook has many dubious posts that promise you can make money one on Facebook. How you really can get easy money from Facebook. There is a $725 million class action lawsuit settlement with Facebook (META) (now Meta Platforms, Inc.) over allegations that it shared user data with third parties without consent. The settlement is part of the years-long litigation over Facebook’s relationship with Cambridge Analytica, which harvested the personal data of 87 million Facebook users.
Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal
For those with a short memory Cambridge Analytica was a British political consulting firm. It came to prominence through the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The scandal involved harvested Facebook data of 87 million people. The stolen data was used for advertising by the Trump campaign during the 2016 elections.
The Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal was bad for several reasons. It exposed how Facebook allowed third parties to access and misuse the personal data of millions of users without their consent. It raised concerns about how such data could be used to influence elections and manipulate public opinion.
This sparked a huge outcry from users, regulators, and lawmakers. They accused Facebook of violating their privacy rights and failing to protect their data from third-party abuse. Several lawsuits were filed against Facebook for this behavior. The suits later consolidated into one class action lawsuit representing all U.S. Facebook users who were affected by the data breach.
Facebook settles the lawsuit
After years of legal battles, Meta has finally agreed to settle the lawsuit for $725 million. This is the largest privacy class action settlement in U.S. history. According to the settlement agreement, Meta will pay each eligible user a certain amount of money based on how long they used Facebook during the period from May 2007 to December 2022.
To qualify for the settlement, you must have been a U.S. Facebook user between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022. You must submit a valid claim online or mail in a completed print form by August 25, 2023. The amount of money you can get depends on how long you had a Facebook account and how many total valid claims are submitted. As well as how much money is left after paying legal fees and expenses. You can choose to have your funds distributed by direct deposit, Venmo, Zelle, PayPal or via a prepaid Mastercard.
You can find more information on how to get your money on the official settlement website:
https://www.facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/
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This settlement is a huge win for Facebook users. Privacy advocate have been fighting for privacy rights and holding Meta accountable for its actions. It also sends a strong message to other tech companies that they need to respect their users’ data and be transparent about how they use it and who they share it with.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.