The Facebook privacy settlement is real — how to claim your share

Join the Facebook class action payout

In 2018, it was discovered that Facebook had given Cambridge Analytica, a UK political consulting firm, access to considerable data from as many as 87 million users. This led to the class action lawsuit.

The data was purportedly used in 2016 for voter profiling and targeting on behalf of various campaigns by Cambridge Analytica, which has since discontinued operations.

Facebook owner Meta agreed in December to pay $725 million to settle the charges of improperly using customer data without permission. It's now possible to claim a share of the settlement to receive a cash payout.

According to the settlement website, people in the US who used Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, may be eligible to receive a payment. Facebook users have until August 25 to enter a claim by entering their name, address, email address, and proof that they resided in the US and used Facebook between the two dates.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was required to testify before Congress over the incident and publish ads in which he apologized for the breach. Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly commented in 2018 and criticized Facebook for mishandling user data.

"I think the best regulation is no regulation, is self-regulation," he said in answer to a question posed about Facebook. "However, I think we're beyond that here."