The ruling has tentatively approved Facebook’s $725 million settlement: how to apply for damages

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the date the judge initially agreed to the settlement.

(NEXSTAR) — A massive $725 million settlement involving Facebook parent company Meta has been approved in principle. Last monthpaving the way for users of the social media platform to apply for a significant portion of the payments.

Meta has agreed to pay to settle a lawsuit alleging that Facebook allowed users’ personal data to be shared with third parties, most famously Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The company collected the data of up to 87 million Facebook users, The Associated Press reported.

Final approval of the settlement isn’t expected until September, but Facebook users don’t need to wait to file their claims.

Who is eligible to pay?

You don’t need to know if your data was accessed by a third party app to get a portion of the settlement. Anyone who was a Facebook user between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 is eligible, according to settlement page.

That means a lot of people qualify — Facebook reports 2 billion users globally, including about 200 million in the US and Canada.

Only US users are eligible to pay.

How do I apply?

There are two ways to file a claim: online or by mail.

To submit a file online, you will need to click hereanswer a few questions about yourself, and then decide how you want to be paid (prepaid gift card, direct deposit, PayPal, etc.).

To submit a file by mail, you will need to Print some forms And send it to the settlement officer in Philadelphia.

You need to submit the form by August 25th in order to qualify.

How much will i get?

As with many class action lawsuits, the size of each individual’s payout depends on the number of claims received. How long you’ve been a Facebook user will also determine your payment size – the longer you’ve had an active account, the higher your payment will be. (You need to disclose if you deleted your Facebook account when making a claim.)

And before any money reaches your bank account, attorney fees and administrative expenses will be deducted from the $725 million.

When will I get my dues?

The final settlement session is set for September 7, 2023, so no approved payments will definitely be sent before then. “Settlement payments will be distributed as soon as possible if the court grants final settlement approval and after any appeals have been resolved.” Explains frequently asked questions for the claim site.

The hearing date is also subject to change.