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Facebook Likely Owes You Money. How To See If You’re Eligible.

Were you using Facebook sometime between the dates of May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022?

If so, there’s a good chance the company, now known as Facebook’s parent company Meta, owes you money!

And who would turn down free money, right? So, here’s what’s going on and how you can find out if you’re eligible.

Over the years, Meta has faced quite a few lawsuits from Facebook users who allege that the company allowed their user data to be accessible to third-parties without users’ permission.

These lawsuits, which were ultimately consolidated into a class-action lawsuit, Facebook allowed this unauthorized access for users’ friends data too. Furthermore, the lawsuits claim that Facebook also did not “sufficiently monitor” or enforce its rules on third-parties who had access to user data.

One such prominent issue from these lawsuits is in regard to the data Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct data analytics firm that worked with Donald Trump’s campaign, to access.

Facebook privacy settlement payout details

Meta has now agreed to settle the class action lawsuit. In doing so, the company admits to no wrongdoing. However, as part of the settlement, Meta also agrees to pay out a total of $725 million to affected users.

One addendum to add here is that the total also covers various legal and administrative fees, so the sum total of the payout to users will be considerably less. And, of course, the amount users receive will depend on how many people submit an eligible claim.

But, hey! Whatever you get, it’s still free money!

In order to get cash from the settlement, eligible Facebook users between the dates of May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 can file a claim here. Users must submit a claim by August 25, 2023.

However, users who object to the settlement and plan on filing a lawsuit against Meta for these issues, must opt-out and do so by July, 26, 2023. If a user does not file either a claim or objection by those deadlines, they forfeit their right to the settlement and further legal action as well.

If you’d like more information, feel free to visit the website set up for the class action settlement at FacebookUserPrivacySettlement.com.

Facebook Likely Owes You Money And This is How You Can Check If You’re Eligible

Thousands of Facebook users could be eligible for a cut of a $725 million class action lawsuit settlement. Here’s how to see if you’re due a payout from Meta.

If you’re a millennial, you probably used Facebook between 24 May, 2007, and 22 December, 2022 – right?

If so, Facebook likely owes you some cash. But be prepared to submit a claim to get your hands on this free money.

Recently, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, agreed to settle a long-contested class action lawsuit regarding personal data privacy on the social media platform.

In 2018 it was revealed that Meta had ‘improperly shared users’ information with Cambridge Analytica’.

In the heavily-documented trial, it was also concluded that Meta failed to ‘sufficiently monitor’ data access rules.

While Meta didn’t quite admit to its wrongdoing, the company instead agreed that a $725 million settlement was the ‘best’ way to navigate the heavy charges.

Around 250-280 million Facebook users could be eligible for money. Credit: The Bold Bureau / Alamy Stock Photo

Meta spokesperson Dina El-Kassaby Luce said a settlement was ‘in the best interest of [Meta’s] community and shareholders’.

Now that the settlement has been confirmed, it’s thought that around 250-280 million Facebook users will be eligible to receive a payment from Meta.

So – how do you get free cash from the settlement?

First, head to the portal to submit claims and submit yours before 25 August, 2023.

On the form, you will need to fill out a couple of questions about Facebook accounts, and also confirm you logged onto the site between 24, May, 2007, and 22, December, 2022.

Meta will pay out $725 million to Facebook users. Credit: Meta.

The deadline to opt out of the settlement and retain the rights to sue Facebook separately is 26 July, 2023.

So if you change your mind and want to go at it alone, there’s still time to delete your claim.

After submitting, your eligibility will be evaluated. If you’re successful, then the payout you receive will be depended on two things – the number of claims submitted and Facebook account longevity.

Essentially, the more people that submit a claim the less money there is to go around. Unfortunately, putting your Facebook claim in early will not allow you to procure more funds.

Users must submit a claim by 25 August, 2023. Credit: mundissima / Alamy Stock Photo

Secondly, if you’ve had your Facebook account for a long time, you’re likely to receive more money.

The settlement is due to distribute ‘points’ for every month a claimant has had an active Facebook account.

So, if you’ve been on the social media site since 24 May, 2007, you’ll potentially receive a hefty load of points.

According to SF Gate, these points will help split the money between claimants.

One last thing – you have to be a US citizen to claim a slice of the $725 million class action law settlement.

Users from countries such as the UK are apparently not eligible for payment as they have not been damaged by the data leak.

First US state votes to ban TikTok with $10,000 fine per violation

TikTok has been battling the possibility of a ban in the United States for years. Now, lawmakers in Montana voted to approve a “first-of-its-kind” bill that would ban the popular social media app across the state.

TikTok ban: Montana passes first statewide ban

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Montana lawmakers voted 54-43 in favor of approving the bill. It will now be sent to Governor Greg Gianforte, and if he signs it, Montana will officially become the first state to implement a statewide TikTok ban.

As the bill is written today, the TikTok ban would go into effect on January 1, 2024. ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok, would be barred from operating within Montana. “Any entity violating this law” would be fined $10,000 “per violation,” the report from the WSJ says. “It’s unclear how some elements of the legislation would be enforced,” the report continues.

Whether or not Governor Gianforte signs the bill into law remains to be seen, but he has been an outspoken critic of TikTok in the past. Montana has already banned TikTok on government-issued devices, as have other states. The US federal government has also banned TikTok on government devices, as have numerous other countries around the world.

Gianforte has also pressed universities in Montana to implement their own TikTok bans. This is something other states have already done, including Texas.

As explained by the Associated Press, the penalties would not be applied to users themselves but rather Byte Dance or the app store from which the app was downloaded. This, of course, includes Apple and Google.

Montana lawmakers say that they want the state to be a “leader” when it comes to banning access to TikTok. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has described the app as a “tool used by the Chinese government to spy on Montanans.”

The bill would be void if the United States enacts a federal ban on TikTok or if “TikTok severs its Chinese connections,” the bill explains. Knudsen, however, has said Montana is acting quickly because he isn’t sure federal lawmakers will do the same.

In a statement responding to the Montana legislation, TikTok said that it will “continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach.”

If the bill is signed by Governor Gianforte, experts say that it will set the stage for a series of legal challenges and could ultimately make its way to the Supreme Court.

Apple and Google have not commented on this bill, which again would put them on the hook for $10,000 penalties for each violation.

New York Times Loses Twitter Verified Badge for Refusing to Pay for Verified Check Mark

The New York Times Loses Twitter Verification Badge as the Platform Updates Its Policies

In a recent announcement, Twitter declared its new policy for keeping verification badges, removing the verified check-mark status of accounts that Twitter had verified as notable before Elon Musk’s takeover unless they have subscribed to Twitter Blue or the business-focused Twitter Verified Organizations plan. As a result of this new policy, on Sunday, The New York Times, one of the leading media houses in the United States, lost its verification badge on Twitter.

Twitter introduced verified accounts in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organisations, and other accounts “of public interest” were genuine, not impostors or parody accounts. The company did not charge for verification previously. However, after Musk’s takeover of Twitter, he launched Twitter Blue with the check-mark badge as one of the premium perks within two weeks of the company’s takeover. The only individual Twitter users who will have verified blue checkmarks are those paying for Twitter Blue, which in the US costs $8/month via the web and $11/month through the in-app payment on iOS and Android.

For companies and brands, Twitter recently introduced a gold check mark and shifted government accounts to a grey check mark. A subscription to the social network’s new Twitter Verified Organizations program in the US will be the only way to keep a gold or grey check-mark badge, costing $1,000/month (plus tax) and $50/month (plus tax) for each additional affiliate subaccount.

The White House also informed its staffers that they will have to spend on their own to keep the blue verification checkmarks on Twitter. As per the New York Post, the members of the White House will not be subscribing to Twitter Blue. Individuals like NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won the Super Bowl, and NBA superstar LeBron James are also refusing to continue paying the monthly price to be verified.

After Musk took over Twitter, the microblogging site has been adding and removing separate, grey checkmarks on high-profile accounts without explaining the reason. Musk’s plan also resulted in the impersonation of high-profile accounts, including Twitter’s advertisers, as per The Verge report.

Twitter has not yet revealed how it will deal with the accounts of people who have “notable” mentioned on it. Nevertheless, the new policy for keeping verification badges has led to a change in how users perceive their accounts’ authenticity, and it remains to be seen how these updates will impact Twitter’s user base.

Meta Launches Tools to Segregate Ads from Harmful Content

Meta Platforms Inc said on Thursday it is now rolling out a long-promised system for advertisers to determine where their ads are shown, responding to their demands to distance their marketing from controversial posts on Facebook and Instagram.

The system offers advertisers three risk levels they can select for their ad placements, with the most conservative option excluding placements above or below posts with sensitive content like weapons depictions, sexual innuendo and political debates.

Meta also will provide a report via advertising measurement firm Zefr showing Facebook advertisers the precise content that appeared near their ads and how it was categorized.

Marketers have long advocated for greater control over where their ads appear online, complaining that big social media companies do too little to prevent ads from showing alongside hate speech, fake news and other offensive content.

The issue came to a head in July 2020, when thousands of brands joined a boycott of Facebook amid anti-racism protests in the United States.

Under a deal brokered several months later, the company, now called Meta, agreed to develop tools to “better manage advertising adjacency,” among other concessions.

Samantha Stetson, Meta’s vice president for Client Council and Industry Trade Relations, said she expected Meta to introduce more granular controls over time so advertisers could specify their preferences around different social issues.

Stetson also said early tests showed no significant change in performance or price for ads placed using more restrictive settings, adding that those involved in the tests were “pleasantly surprised.”

However, she cautioned that the pricing dynamic could change, given the auction-based nature of Meta’s ads system and the reduction in inventory associated with any restrictions.

The controls will be available initially in English- and Spanish-speaking markets, with plans to expand them to other regions – and to the company’s Reels, Stories and video ad formats – later this year.