Facebook Users to Receive Settlement Payments in Cambridge Analytica Data Breach
Millions of Facebook users who filed claims in a class-action lawsuit stemming from the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal will begin receiving settlement payments in September. The payments, averaging around $29 per person, with some reaching up to $38.36, are a result of a $725 million settlement reached by Facebook regarding the misuse of user data.
The settlement addresses allegations that the British data firm Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed the personal data of over 50 million Facebook users without their consent between 2007 and 2022. Those eligible must have used Facebook during that period and submitted a claim by the August 2023 deadline. Payments will be distributed over a 10-week period, and eligible recipients will receive an email notification a few days before their payment is sent.
The scandal unfolded after revelations that Cambridge Analytica harvested data to build voter profiles and target political advertising,notably during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The firm was employed by the Donald Trump campaign and claimed to have influenced the election outcome by identifying key demographic shifts. while the individual payouts may seem modest, the settlement represents a critically important outcome for those concerned about data privacy and corporate accountability in the digital age.
