Facebook, now Meta, is the world’s largest social media company that connects people around the world. Its humongous number of users and influence raise questions of increased scrutiny, sometimes lawsuits. Facebook has been on the receiving end of class action lawsuits concerning privacy, data security, and users’ rights multiple times. Here is a look at what these class actions entail, their impact on users, and what you need to know if you’re eligible to participate.
What is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class action is a lawsuit in which the rights of many people can be represented in a single complaint against a company. Instead of one lawsuit after another, class action represents the interest of all members, referred to as the “class.” In the case of Facebook, these lawsuits usually address allegations that its policies or practices have affected millions of users in similar ways.
Some of the Key Facebook Class Action Lawsuits are:
Some of the recent, high-profile class action lawsuits Facebook has been involved with include privacy and data usage cases. Some of the mentioned cases are listed below.
Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal
In 2018, it became known that the social networking site allowed Cambridge Analytica-a third-party firm-to scrape data from millions of users without consent. Such data was used in an apparent political advertising manner.
The case resulted in a class action against Facebook, whereby the latter was accused of not safeguarding users’ data and abusing their information. In 2022, Facebook settled the case where it agreed to offer payment to claim eligible user’s shares from the compensation.
Under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), companies cannot collect biometric data-including facial recognition-without first getting consent from the users. Facebook has been caught using facial recognition to photograph-tag people and did so without getting sufficient consent in Illinois.
These led to a class-action lawsuit that saw Facebook settle this case to a $650 million amount, one of the highest privacy settlements made in the history of privacy cases. Eligible individuals in Illinois received compensation out of these settlements.
Data Breach Lawsuits
Facebook has had to incur many lawsuits after the public data breach made the hacking of the users’ info possible. For example, an incident that took place during 2018 involved information about almost 50 million users; hence, most of their private data-their email addresses, and phone numbers- was availed to hackers.
Other class actions against Facebook suggested that the social media was not securing users’ personal data. The rest continue to run in court to date. Perhaps, other cases might see compensation towards the victims later.
Ads and Metrics Deception
Companies utilizing Facebook’s advertising platform also brought class action lawsuits against Facebook. One of them stated that Facebook artificially inflated video-viewing metrics on which businesses depended in determining whether to spend their dollars on advertisements.
Some of these cases are settled and have led Facebook to revise the way it reports ads.
What Users Should Know About Class Action Lawsuits
If you were harmed by a Facebook policy or data breach that led to the class action lawsuit, you might have damages to collect; find out how it works:
Notice and Eligibility: When you are a part of a class action, expect to receive an email or public notice stating what the class action is for and what one must do in order to be eligible to collect.
Filing of Claim: In most cases, eligible users can file their claim online. It usually only requires basic information and whether you were affected during the relevant period.
Settlement and Payment: Those who have filed valid claims can receive compensation in case of a settlement of the class action. Payments will depend on the amount settled and the number of claimants.
Facebook Class Actions and Impact on User Privacy
The class action lawsuits on Facebook have led to wider debates about data privacy and user rights. Facebook has altered its privacy settings, data handling practices, and transparency efforts due to public pressure and legal challenges. These lawsuits also led to regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation in the EU, which sets higher standards for data protection across the globe for tech companies.
Conclusion
Class actions have significantly contributed to keeping Facebook accountable and setting better privacy standards in the sector. While the lawsuits bring a reminder of past failure, they also contribute equally to the development of a safer digital space. Keeping track of the lawsuits may enable you as a Facebook user to expand your knowledge regarding your rights and when it may be possible to receive compensation.
