Meta has agreed to pay $1.2 billion to settle a long-running class-action lawsuit in the United States that accused Facebook of sharing users' personal data with third parties without their consent. The settlement, announced on Thursday, covers claims dating back to 2012 and affects an estimated 250 million Facebook users in the US.
Details of the settlement
The lawsuit alleged that Facebook allowed apps and other companies to access user data, including private messages and location information, without proper authorisation. Meta did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, but agreed to the payout to resolve the claims.
The $1.2 billion figure is one of the largest privacy-related settlements in US history. Payments to individual claimants are expected to be modest, with the exact amount depending on the number of valid claims filed.
Global impact and next steps
The settlement applies only to US users, but legal experts say it could set a precedent for similar cases in other countries. Meta faces ongoing scrutiny from regulators in Europe and elsewhere over its data handling practices.
Users who are eligible will be notified through a dedicated website set up by the settlement administrator. The final approval hearing is scheduled for January 2027.
