Meta targets spam and removes 10 million Facebook spoofing profiles
Meta is deleting spam accounts, limiting duplicate content, and investing billions in AI moderation infrastructure.
Straight Arrow News
Facebook will soon begin issuing payments to millions of users as part of a $725 million settlement over allegations that social media platforms misuse user data.
The settlement stems from several lawsuits filed on behalf of Facebook users, allowing the company to access user data without permission.
The lawsuit was filed in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where it was accused of obtaining information about Facebook users in the 2016 presidential election to target voters.
People in the US who used Facebook at any time for 15 years were eligible to participate in the settlement in 2023.
Facebook’s parent company Meta denied fraudulent activities in the case, but agreed to a settlement to avoid going to court, according to the payments website.
Who is eligible for Facebook payments?
Anyone in the US who used Facebook between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 were eligible to be included in the settlement.
Eligible users were required to file a claim and receive payment in the lawsuit by August 25, 2023. If the user is eligible and does not submit by the deadline, they will not receive payment.
When will Facebook payments be issued?
Payment distributions were scheduled to begin in late August, according to court filings.
As of September 9th, settlement payments had begun to be distributed. According to the payment website, those who have been approved for payment for the settlement will receive an email notification 3-4 days before it is issued.
Due to the number of payments in the settlement, they are issued in waves over 75 days per court application.
How much will the settlement be paid?
Facebook has agreed to settle the lawsuit for $725 million, but users who filed the claims can only see a small fraction of that total.
The judge in the case approved several initial payments from the POT. The eight major settlement class representatives or plaintiffs total $120,000, attorneys’ fees of more than $180 million, and other costs are approximately $4 million.
After these costs are paid, the remaining approximately $541 million settlement will be distributed to other class members whose claims are approved.
The fund is evenly divided for each court document based on the number of “allocated points” held by eligible claimants. “Assignment Points” is determined by the number of months a user has been on Facebook during the eligibility period.
Meaning, anyone who used Facebook for two years or 24 months between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 has 24 “allocation points”. “Assignment Points” determine the portion of payments that a user receives.
Why does Facebook pay the settlement?
Several lawsuits have been filed against Facebook in the aftermath of the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal. They alleged that Facebook was unable to share user data without consenting to third parties such as app developers, business partners, advertisers, data brokers and other data usage.
The lawsuit was consolidated into one filing in 2018, followed by subsequent lawsuits. In December 2022, Facebook’s parent company Meta and the plaintiff agreed to settle the lawsuit.
Meta denied the lawsuit’s allegations, but court documents show that they now settle the lawsuit to avoid “uncertainty, burden, costs, delays” in order to avoid “uncertainty, burden, costs, delays.”
Contribution: Painted by Amanda Perez
Melina Kahn is a national trending reporter for USA Today. She can be contacted at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
