Facebook privacy settlement payouts overview:
- Who: More than 17.7 million people submitted valid claims in the Facebook data privacy settlement.
- Why: The $725 million settlement puts an end to claims that Meta — formerly known as Facebook — shared about 87 million Facebook users’ information with a third-party app developer, who in turn sold the data to Cambridge Analytica.
- Where: Nationwide.
In an eventful final approval hearing, a California judge said he was “blown away” by the 17.7 million claims filed in a $725 million Facebook privacy class action lawsuit settlement.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs told U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria that more than 17.7 million valid claims have been filed in the Facebook data privacy settlement — with several million more still needing to be processed.
According to plaintiff lawyers, each claimant can expect to receive around $30, based on the number of claims that have been filed. Judge Chhabria noted this amount is lower than expected but can be attributed to the unprecedented number of claims filed in the case.
“It’s because such an incredibly large number of people made claims in this case,” the judge said. “I was kind of blown away by how many people made claims.”
Facebook users had until Aug. 25, 2023, to file a claim in the Facebook class action lawsuit settlement; more than 28.6 million claims were filed. However, around 2 million of these claims are duplicates, while 8 million may be fraudulent. Even after these deductions, 17.7 million filed claims is a significant number.
Although the $725 million Facebook deal has attracted widespread media attention and millions of claims, not everyone is satisfied with the settlement. Objectors in the case claim the settlement total is too small based on the number of affected users and that the criteria for payouts laid out in the settlement agreement are unfair.
These objectors were each given two minutes to argue their cases to Judge Chhabria during the final approval hearing. Plaintiffs’ lawyers hit back against their arguments, saying the objectors ignore the significant risk of litigation when calculating the potential statutory reward of going to trial.
Class lawyers in the Facebook class action lawsuit need to tell Judge Chhabria the total they will seek in attorneys’ fees from the settlement — a sum that was left out in their motion for attorneys’ fees.
“We’re just not good at math,” one lawyer joked, calling the issue an “oversight” but stating that a 25% cut of the settlement would amount to almost $180.5 million.
The $725 million settlement puts an end to claims that Meta — formerly known as Facebook — shared the information of around 87 million Facebook users with a third-party app developer who then sold their information to Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica is a UK-based political consulting firm known for its role in former President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. The firm filed for bankruptcy shortly after the Facebook data-sharing scandal was revealed.
Did you submit a claim in the Facebook privacy settlement? Let us know in the comments below.
The settlement class is represented by Lesley E. Weaver, Anne K. Davis, Matthew S. Melamed and Joshua D. Samra of Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP, and Derek W. Loeser, Cari Campen Laufenberg, David Ko, Adele A. Daniel, Benjamin Gould, Emma M. Wright, Daniel Mensher, Michael Woerner, Matthew Gerend, Christopher Springer and Eric Fierro of Keller Rohrback LLP.
The Facebook privacy class action lawsuit is In re: Facebook Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, Case No. 3:18-md-02843, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
- Harry & David class action claims company sends unsolicited text messages
- Amazon, Tile class action alleges product helps stalkers track victims
- Gopuff class action alleges company engages in unsolicited text messaging
- UnitedHealthcare class action claims company makes prerecorded calls without consent
452 thoughts onHere’s how much the Facebook privacy class action settlement payouts could be
What a joke $30 in exchange for someone having my info? That’s not right I would rather have money than some identity guard thing meta is getting off easy I had an account for the entire time thanks alot judge and lawyers I don’t think the lawyers should get that much to pocket
Yes, I did file a claim.
The fact that majority of the money in this case is being pocketed by lawyers instead of majority of it going to the people of America who were affected by data harvesting and selling without consent or any kind of benefit to the people themselves just to only reveive $30 as compensation is BEYOND corrupt, insulting, and a backhand to the people of America.
We are struggling bad enough as it is, and yet we are still being used as cash cows.
As sad as it sounds… And as much as it sucks… Even if the lawyers were saints and took no fees whatsoever.. Leaving the entire $725mil to the claimants… It would only provide us with an extra 10 bucks. 725m-25%=543.75m–>543.75m/17.7m=30.72
725m/17.7m=40.96
Still sucks rotten lemons off a donkey’s rear end. But ain’t shiz we can do about it. 🤷♀️
I greatly appreciate ur thoughts and also agree
I submitted a claim
Yes
I’m no math expert, but after the lawyer deductions and all that there still should be around 500 million for the 28 million people that submitted a claim that looks to me like a couple million per person but I guess that I am missing something it’s hilarious and insulting
It’s about 18.00 not 2 million
Lmfao!! Wtf are you talking about?? 500 million divided by 28 million (which isn’t the actual final amount. 17.7 million is closer to the correct amount after duplicates and fraudulent apps are negated…WHICH IT EXPLAINS IN THE ARTICLE AS WELL) is nowhere close to anything even remotely resembling just $1 million…not even close to $100 honestly. Where in the entirety of the known universe did you come up with a couple million per person?? You’re smoking something that just completely obliterates reality and quite frankly, kind human, I need some of that…that next level upper echelon type of goody good McBudski Deluxe 9000.
Yes, I did file a claim WOW JUST WOW
It is crazy the layers pocket it and the consumer who the damage actually happens to stiff suffer and 30 dollars and some yr of identity theft does not make up for already had losses
30,000 should be more like it 30 bucks is without doubt a insult and to think I sold my information for the measly 30 bucks is not ok with me ..if we even get 30 .I think that’s pushing it saying 30 on the hi gh end…not right in my opinion.
It’s insulting! Lawyer an fees go to their pockets an those who this was SAID TO BE FOUGHT FOR RECEIVE NOT ENOUGH TO FILL THE TANK!!!!
INSULTING
I did file a claim and been waiting
I did submit a claim for what Facebook has done to American democracy by sharing users information with Cambridge Analytica. It is so beyond corrupt, and violation of privacy.