Millions of Facebook users have begun receiving a share of a $725 million settlement related to the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal.
Anyone who used the social media platform between 2007 and 2022 is eligible for the payment, however only those who filed a claim before the August 2023 deadline will receive one.
A court filing suggests the average settlement payment will be around $30 per person, with approved recipients set to receive an email from donotreply@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com with confirmation of the amount.
A court filing, first reported by CBS News, revealed that the largest payments will be paid to people who were on Facebook for the entire 15-year period covered by the settlement.
“Class members who were active on Facebook longer, and who therefore may have more valuable claims, will receive a larger share of the settlement,” the company said in 2024.
Data misuse of Facebook users first emerged in 2018, when a former employee of the UK consulting firm Cambridge Analytica revealed that illegal harvesting took place in the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump.
Around 87 million Facebook profiles were caught up in the data collection scandal, which investigators said violated a 2011 consent agreement between Facebook and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Facebook-owner Meta did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, however it did agree to develop “more robust tools” to protect users, as well as restrict third-party access to user data.
Following the settlement, roughly 29 million claims were filed, with around 18 million validated, according to a 2024 legal document.
Successful applicants will receive the payment via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or the bank account listed on the claim form.
“The distribution of settlement benefits has commenced and will continue for approximately 10 weeks,” the settlement site revealed in a recent update.
Further information for impacted users can be found on the FAQs section of the settlement site.
