Here's How Canadians Could Get Money From A US Class-Action Lawsuit Against Facebook

A class action lawsuit against Facebook is promising a US$725 million settlement, and some Canadians may be eligible to receive a portion of the payout.

If you were a Facebook user between 2007 and 2022, you may be able to claim a part of the settlement reached between Facebook's parent company Meta and the plaintiffs in the pending lawsuit.

According to the settlement website, a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Facebook users who allege that the company shared user data with (or made it available to) third parties without the permission of the users and "did not sufficiently monitor and enforce third-party access or use of that data."

Facebook has denied these claims, and a court did not side with either party; instead, both sides agreed to a settlement "to avoid the costs and risks of a trial" and so that eligible claimants can receive payments.

The settlement applies to all Facebook users in the U.S. between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, with some exceptions.

If it's approved by the court, Meta will set up a settlement fund of US$725 million, which will be used to pay for the claims from individuals involved in the lawsuit, as well as things like attorney fees and costs.

While the settlement applies to people in the U.S., it also applies to certain Canadians.

A settlement administrator told CTV News that anyone who was a Facebook user in the U.S. between the dates outlined in the settlement can file a claim.

This means that Canadians who were living in the U.S. and were users of Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, may be eligible to receive a payout from the lawsuit.

If this applies to you and you want to submit a claim, you can do so by filling out a claim form online or by printing it and mailing it to the settlement administrator in Philadelphia.

Claims have to be submitted by August 25, 2023, or by 11:59 p.m. on that day if you're filling it out online.

However, if you want to opt out of the settlement, the deadline to do so is July 26, 2023. Opting out will mean you won't receive a payout or any benefits from the settlement, but this would enable an individual to sue separately.

If you're wondering how much you'd be able to get, the Facebook settlement payout per person will depend on a few things. For one, the number of valid claims submitted will affect how much each person receives.

How long a claimant was a Facebook user from 2007-2022 will also be a factor in how much they can get.

The Facebook settlement payout date has not been confirmed, but payments will be distributed "as soon as possible" after the settlement is approved (for which the hearing is scheduled for September 7, 2023), and after any possible appeals are resolved.