Facebook and Google owe you money, here's how to claim it
Both Facebook and Google have agreed to pay huge amounts in total as settlement of class-action lawsuits against them.
Facebook's parent company, Meta is shelling out $725 million in total as settlement for a class-action lawsuit. Facebook users in the United States who operated an account on the social networking platform between May 2007 and December 2022, are eligible to get a share from the whooping amount. However, the per person share of the amount is likely to be small.
Facebook users can apply for the claim through facebookuserprivacysettlement.com. The payment will be made through bank account and other methods. Users who used facebook's website longer during May 2007 and December 2022, will be paid more than others.
In 2022, Meta agreed to settle class-action lawsuit which accused the company of violating user's privacy by sharing user data and making it accessible to third parties, including the data and political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, without users’ permission. The lawsuit also claimed that Facebook didn't monitor the third-party access and use of that data.
As per a report by New York Times, authorised claimants will be assigned one point for each month in which they had an active Facebook account. The last date to apply for the claims is August 25. Users need to enter their mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and Facebook user names and confirm that they were active on Facebook between May 24, 2007 and Dec. 22, 2022.
Why Google might pay $23 million in total to its users?
Meanwhile, Google might pay $23 million in total to its users who clicked on a Google search result link from October 2006 to September 2013. Google has agreed to the payment as settlement of a consolidated class-action lawsuit filed in 2013 which accused the company of “storing and intentionally, systematically and repeatedly divulging” users’ search queries and histories to third-party websites and companies.
However, it is not clear when the amount will be distributed. Final approval of the settlement will happen after a court hearing which is due on October 12. Users who want to claim the money have to submit their full name, street address and an email address by July 31.